IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


1.0 


I.I 


^    tiS, 


1.25  III! 


1.4 


1^  IM 

12.0 

1.6 


Photogr^iphic 

Sciences 
Corporatiuii 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

(716)  872-4503 


<? 


I 


1 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHIVI/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  da  microreproductions  historiques 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiquss 


The  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best 
original  copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this 
copy  which  may  be  bibliographically  unique, 
which  may  alter  any  of  the  images  in  the 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  change 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


D 
D 
D 
D 
D 
□ 
D 
D 

n 


D 


Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 

Covers  damaged/ 
Couverture  endommagde 

Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaurde  et/cu  pelliculde 

Cover  title  missing/ 

Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 

Coloured  maps/ 

Cartes  gdograohiques  en  couleur 

Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 

Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 
Planches  et/ou  illustrations  tn  couleur 

Bound  with  other  material/ 
Relid  avec  d'autres  documents 

Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

La  re  liure  serrde  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
distortion  le  long  de  la  marge  intdrieure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  ajout^es 
lors  d'une  restauration  apparaissent  dans  le  texte, 
mais,  lorsque  cela  dtait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  6t6  filmdes. 

Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  suppldmentaires: 


L'Institut  a  microfilm^  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu'il  lui  a  6t6  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details 
de  cet  exemplaire  qui  sont  peut-dtre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographique,  qui  peuvent  modi  ier 
une  image  reproduite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  jne 
modification  dans  la  mdthode  normale  de  filmage 
sont  indiquds  ci-dessous. 


I      I   Coloured  pages/ 


n 


n 


Pages  de  couleur 

Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommag^es 


I      I    Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 


Pages  restaurdes  et/ou  pelliculdes 

Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 
Pages  d^colordea,  tachetdes  ou  piqu6es 


□    Pages  detached/ 
Pages  ddtachdes 

mShowthrough/ 
Transparence 

I      I    Quality  of  print  varies/ 


Quality  indgale  de  I'impression 

Includes  supplementary  material/ 
Comprend  du  materiel  suppl€mentaire 

Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Edition  disponible 


Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  refilmed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalement  ou  partiellement 
obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  une  pelure, 
etc.,  ont  6t6  film6es  d  nouveau  de  fa9on  d 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  film6  au  taux  de  rMuction  indiqui  ci-dessous. 

10X  14X  18X  22X 


26X 


30X 


y 

12X 


16X 


20X 


24X 


28X 


32X 


Ills 

iu 

:<ijer 

me 

lage 


The  copy  filmed  here  has  been  reproduced  thanks 
to  the  qenerosity  of: 

Library  of  the  Pubiic 
Archives  of  Canada 


The  images  appearing  here  are  the  best  quality 
possible  considering  the  condition  and  legibility 
of  the  original  copy  and  in  keeping  with  the 
filming  contract  specifications. 


L'exemplaire  filnr^  fut  reproduit  gr^ce  d  la 
g6n6ro8it6  de: 

La  bibliothdque  des  Archives 
publiquL    iu  Canada 

Les  images  suivantes  ont  6x6  reproduites  avec  le 
plus  grand  soin,  compte  tenu  de  la  condition  et 
de  la  netteti  de  l'exemplaire  filmi,  et  en 
conformity  avec  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmage. 


Original  copies  in  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


Les  exemplaires  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  est  imprim6e  sont  film6s  en  commenpant 
par  le  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
dernldre  page  qui  comporte  uno  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustratlon,  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  selon  le  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  film6s  en  commen9ant  par  la 
premiere  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  dernldre  page  qu'  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  -^  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbcl  V  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 


Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaftra  sur  la 
dernidre  image  de  chaoue  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbols  -^^  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbols  V  signifie  "FIN". 


Maps,  plates,  chartc,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Les  cartes,  planches,  tablea'jx,  etc.,  peuvent  dtre 
filmds  d  des  taux  de  rdducvion  diff6rents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  dtre 
reproduit  en  un  seui  clichi§,  il  est  filmd  d  partir 
de  I'angle  supdrieur  gauche,  de  gauche  d  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  ndcessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
iliustrent  la  mithode. 


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BURLINGTON : 

CHAUNCEY    GOODRICH. 

1846. 


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Entered  according  to  act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1838, 
*  By  Chauncey  Goodrich,        #' 

in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  of  Vermont. 


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ADVERTISEMENT 
TO    THE   THIRD    EDITION, 

PUBLISHED  IN  1838. 


-;! 


No  apology  need  be  offered  for  presenting  a  new  Edi- 
tion of  the  following  Narrative,  of  one  of  the  most  re- 
markable men  of  the  age  in  which  he  lived,  as  it  is  now 
thirty-one  years  since  it  has  been  published,  and  more 
than  twenty  years  since  it  has  been  seen  in  any  bookstore. 
It  is  given  in  the  plain  language  of  its  self-educated  au- 
thor, without  any  alteration,  and  is  said  by  his  most  inti- 
mate friends,  to  show  more  of  his  character,  than  all  else 
that  has  ever  been  written  of  him. 

Little  is  known  of  the  life  of  Col.  Allen,  but  what  is 
found  in  Biographical  Dictionaries,  Spark's  American 
Biography,  and  his  Memoirs  written  by  Mr.  Moore,  from 
whose  introduction  the  following  just  tribute  to  his  mem- 
ory is  copied. 

"  Perhaps  no  individual,  of  equal  advantages,  and  the 
station  he  occupied  in  life,  contributed  more  towards  es- 
tablishing the  independence  of  our  country,  than  Ethan 
Allen,  the  subject  of  this  memoir.  The  mass  of  the 
people  among  whom  he  resided,  were  rude  and  uncul- 
tivated ;  yet  b6Id  in  spirit  and  zealous  in  action.  It  con- 
sequently followed,  that  no  one,  save  a  man  of  strong 


1'.- 


;-|;, 


>•» 


;^^„  , 


natural  endowments — of  much  decision,  energy  and 
bravery,  could  control  their  prejudices  and  inclinations. 
Habit  had  rendered  them  familiar  with  danger,  and  im- 
patient of  restraint :  hence,  it  followed,  that  no  policy, 
unless  proceeding  from  a  source  in  which  they  had  con- 
fidence, ever  gained  their  approbation.  Upon  Allen, 
whose  courage  was  undoubted,  and  whose  zealous  devo- 
tion to  their  interests  was  universally  acknowledged, 
they  implicitly  relied.  They  had  known  him  in  adver- 
sity and  prosperity — they  had  weighed  him,  and  found 
nothing  lacking.  To  friend  or  foe,  he  was  ever  the  same 
unyielding  advocate  of  the  rights  of  man,  and  universal 
liberty.  The  policy,  therefore,  he  upheld,  as  beneficial 
to  the  common  cause  of  American  liberty,  ever  found 
strong  and  efficient  supporters  in  the  friends  with  whom 
he  associated,  and  by  who'^  he  was  known. 

From  the  commencement  of  our  Revolutionary  strug- 
gle, until  its  final  close,  Ethan  Allen  proved  a  zealous 
and  strenuous  supporter  of  the  cause.  Whether  in  the 
field  or  the  council — whether  at  home,  a  freeman  among 
the  mountains  of  Vermont,  or  loaded  with  the  manacles 
of  despotism,  in  a  foreign  country,  his  spirit  never  quailed 
beneath  the  sneer  of  the  tory,  or  the  harsh  threats  of  in- 
solent authority.  A  stranger  to  fear,  his  opinions  were 
ever  given  without  disguise  or  hesitation  :  and,  an  ene- 
my to  oppression,  he  sought  every  opportunity  to  redress 
the  wrongs  of  the  oppressed.  It  is  not  to  be  supposed, 
however,  that  he  was  faultless.  Like  other  men,  he  had 
his  errors — like  other  men,  his  foibles.  Yet  he  was  not 
wilfully  stubborn  in  either.  When  convinced  of  an  er- 
roneous position,  he  was  ever  willing  to  yield  a  victory  ; 


,a' . 


but,  in  theory,  as  in  practice,  he  contested  every  inch  of 
ground  ;  and  only  yielded  when  he  had  no  weapons  left 
to  meet  his  antagonist.  This  trait  in  his  character  serves, 
at  least,  to  prove,  that  he  was  honest  in  his  conclusions, 
however  erroneous  the  premises  from  which  they  were 
deduced. 

Much  error  of  opinion  prevails  among  all  classes  of 
individuals,  at  the  present  period,  in  relation  to  the 
character  of  Col.  Allen.  He  is  generally  viewed  as  a 
coarse,  ignorant  man,  void  of  all  the  social  feelings,  and 
arrogant  in  all  his  pretensions.  Even  Mr,  Dwight,  in 
his  "  Travels  in  New-England,"  reports  him  in  this 
light ;  and  deems  him  only  worthy  a  brief  and  unjust 
notice  in  his  work.  In  what  manner  Mr.  Dwight  came 
in  possession  of  the  facts  upon  which  he  predicated  his 
conclusions,  is  beyond  the  knowledge  of  the  author  of 
this  Memoir:  but,  certain  it  is,  he  has  materially  misre- 
presented the  moral  principles,  and  in  fact,  the  general 
tjharacter  of  Col.  \llen.  It  is  presumed,  however,  that 
Mr.  Dwight,  like  many  other  travellers,  drew  his  infer- 
ences from  the  gossip  of  the  people  among  whom  he  as- 
sociated, without  being  at  the  trouble  of  extending  his 
inquiries  to  a  source  from  whence  he  might  have  derived 
every  material  fact  in  relation  to  the  subject.  In  making 
this  suggestion,  the  author  would  not  be  understood  as 
attaching  any  particular  blame  to  Mr.  Dwight  :  but 
merely  as  correcting  an  error  of  opinion  which  is  quite 
»too  prevalent  in  our  country." 


!: 


ftf-  -„ 


.' 


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>;.:    ^f,-«.^Vr;F^   '5:,!''^  . 


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,.,,. 


ADVERTISEMENT 
TO  THE   WALPOLE   EDITION, 


PUBLISHED  IN  1807. 


In  announcing  the  publication  of  this  little,  simple,  true, 
and  unvarnished  narrative^  the  publishers  have  compli- 
ed with  the  wishes  of  a  number  of  persons,  who  had  a 
desire  to  keep  in  remembrance  the  hero  of  Ticonderoga, 
and  the  exploits  he  performed.     It  is  believed  that  there 
is  not  a   copy  for  sale   in  any  bookstore  in  the  United 
States  ;  and  the  style  of  printing,  at  the  time  of  its  first 
appearance,  which  is  now  near  thirty  years  since,  was  in 
so  unimproved  a  condition,  thai  it  has  never  been  seen 
but  in  the  shabby  dress  of  a  large  and  ragged  pamphlet. 
The  events  of  those  "  troublous  times,"  in  which  Col. 
Allen  took  a  conspicuous  part,  are  rendered  doubly  in- 
teresting from  the  lively,  unadorned  manner  of  his  own 
narration.     The  high  compliments  which  he  pays  to  the 
prowess,  uniform  perseverance  and  resolution,  manifested 
by  the  "  Green  Mountain   Boys"   of  his   native   State? 
will  no  doubt  be  an  inducement  to  them,  and   to   his 
countrymen  generally,  to  read  and  preserve  this  monu- 
ment of  him,  and,  as  they  con  the  pages  of  this  "  little 
book"  which  he  has  "  left  them,"  to  imitate  the  cool- 
ness and  courage  of  the  deceased  veteran. 

The  sufferings  and   cruelties  borne   by  him   and  his 


M 


8 


i  I'  1 


fellow  soldiers,  frequently  draw  from  him  in  the  course 
of  his  narrative,  a  language  the  most  severe,  with  res- 
pect to  a  country  from  whom  we  originated,  with  whom 
we  are  now  at  peace,  and  with  whom  it  is  our  policy  to 
continue  on  a  friendly  footing ;  but  the  candid  and  the 
feeling  mind  should  make  great  allowance  for  the  un- 
paralleled situation  of  our  affairs,  for  the  sufferings  of 
his  handful  of  little  "  Spartans/^  for  whom  he  felt  a 
father'j  and  a  brother's  affection.  These  circumstances 
must  have  given  a  deep  coloring  to  the  pencil  which 
was  portraying  his  own  and  his  country's  wrongs.  On 
the  whole,  we  think  this  little  tract  may  be  re-perused, 
with  advantage  and  pleasure,  by  the  aged,  and  read  with 
much  edification  and  entertainment  by  the  young.  As 
it  is  deemed  that  the  very  words,  in  every  respect,  made 
use  of  by  the  Colonel,  would  be  more  acceptable  to  the 
reader,  than  any  artificial  decoration  of  style,  we  shall 
almost  invariably  adhere  to  the  original. 


f   **■■     • 

,1?      :"v, 


INTRODUCTION. 


Induced  by  a  sense  of  duty  to  rtiy  country,  and  by  the 
application  of  many  of  my  worthy  friends,  some  of 
whom  are  of  the  first  characters,  I  have  concluded  to 
publish  the  following  narrative  of  the  extraordinary 
scenes  of  my  captivity,  and  the  discoveries  which  I  made 
in  the  course  of  the  same,  of  the  cruel  and  relentless 
disposition  and  behaviour  of  the  enemy,  towards  the 
prisoners  in  their  power ;  from  which  the  state  politician, 
and  every  gradation  of  character  among  the  people,  to 
the  worthy  tiller  of  the  soil,  may  deduce  such  inferences 
as  they  shall  think  proper  to  carry  into  practice.  Some 
men  are  appointed  into  office,  in  these  States,  who  read 
the  history  of  the  cruelties  of  this  war,  with  «he  same 
careless  indifference,  as  they  do  the  pages  of  the  Ro- 
man history  ;  nay,  some  are  preferred  to  places  of  trust 
and  profit  by  the  tory  influence.  The  instances  are  (I 
hope)  but  rare,  and  it  stands  all  freemen  in  hand  to  pre- 
vent their  further  influence,  which,  of  all  other  things, 
would  be  the  most  baneful  to  the  liberties  and  happiness 
of  this  country  ;  and,  so  far  as  such  influence  takes  place, 
robs  us  of  the  ictory  we  have  obtained  at  the  expense 
of  so  much  blood  and  treasure.      <  n;^**     'ftiiiiiisi^^ 


t.  • 


V        1.1 

;  1  I 


f? 


Il- 


10 


I  should  have  exhibited  to  the  public  a  history  of  the 
facts  herein  contained,  soon  after  my  exchange,  had  not 
the  urgency  of  my  private  affairs,  together  with  more 
urgent  public  business,  demanded  my  attention,  till  a 
few  weeks  before  the  date  hereof.  The  reader  will 
readily  discern,  that  a  Narrative  of  this  sort  could  not 
have  been  written  when  I  was  a  prisoner.  My  trunk 
and  writings  were  often  searched  under  various  preten- 
ces ;  so  that  I  never  wrote  a  syllable,  or  made  even  a 
rough  minute  whereon  I  might  predicate  this  narration, 
but  trusted  solely  to  my  memory  for  the  whole.  I  have, 
however,  taken  the  greatest  care  and  pains  lo  recollect  the 
facts  and  arrange  them  :  but  as  they  touch  a  variety  of 
characters  and  opposite  interests,  I  am  sensible  that  all 
will  not  be  pleased  with  the  relation  of  them.  Be  this 
as  it  will,  I  have  made  truth  my  invariable  guide,  and 
stake  my  honcfr  on  the  truth  of  the  facts.  1  have 
been  very  generous  with  the  British  in  giving  them  full 
and  ample  credit  for  all  their  good  usage,  of  any  consid- 
erable consequence,  which  I  met  with  among  them, 
during  my  captivity ;  which  was  easily  done,  as  I  met 
with  but  little,  in  comparison  of  the  bad,  which,  by  rea- 
son of  the  great  plurality  of  it,  could  not  be  contained 
in  so  concise  a  narrative ;  so  that  I  am  certain  that  I 
have  more  fully  enumerated  the  favors  which  I  received,, 
than  the  abuses  I  suffered.  The  critic  will  be  pleas<^d 
to  excuse  any  inaccuracies  in  the  preformance  itself, 
as  the  author  has  unfortunately  missed  of  a  liberal 
education. '  -  -      ■  -^  ^  '■  --   •■  -^-■'  '  '  •  ''-■"'•'  -'''' "' 

ETHAN  ALLEN. 


Bennington,  March  25,  1779. 


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Ever  since  I  arrived  at  the  state  of  manhood, 
and  acquainted  myself  with  the  general  history  of 
mankind,  I  have  felt  a  sincere  passion  for  liberty. 
The  history  of  nations,  doomed  to  perpetual  sla- 
very, in  consequence  of  yielding  up  to  tyrants 
their  natural-born  liberties,  I  read  with  a  sort  of 
philosophical  horror;  so  that  the  first  systematical 
and  bloody  attempt,  at  Lexington,  to  enslave 
America,  thoroughly  electrified  my  mind,  and  fully 
determined  me  to  take  part  with  my  country. 
And,  while  I  was  wishing  for  an  opportunity  to 
signalize  myself  in  its  behalf,  directions  were  pri- 
vately sent  to  me  from  the  then  colony,  (now  state) 
of  Connecticut,  to  raise  the  Green  Mountain  Boys, 
and,  if  possible,  with  them  to  surprise  and  take 
the  fortress  of  Ticonderogo.  This  Enterprise  I 
cheerfully  undertook  ;  and,  after  first  guarding  all 
the  several  passes  that  led  thither,  to  cut  off  all 
intelligence  between  the  garrison  and  the  country, 


li' 


I 


,..,  ^ 


-m. 


12 


ETHAN  ALLEn'S 


made  a  forced  march  from  Bennington,  and  arri- 
ved at  the  lake  opposite  to  Ticonderoga,*  on  the 
evening  of  the  ninth  day  of  May,  1775,  with  two 
hundred  and  thirty  valiant  Green  Mountain  Boys  ; 
and  it  was  with  the  utmost  difficulty  that  I  pro- 
cured boats  to  cross  the  lake.    However,  I  landed 

*  The  '  Ticonderoga  Fort '  is  thus  described  in  the  American 
Encyclopedia  : — 

Ticonderoga  ;  a  post-town  of  Essex  county,  New- York,  on  the 
west  side  of  the  south  end  of  lake  Champlain,  and  at  the  north 
end  of  lake  George  ;  twelve  miles  south  of  Crown  Point,  ninety- 
five  north  of  Albany  ;  population  in  1820,  1493.  There  is  a  valu- 
able iron  mine  in  this  township. — Ticonderoga  Fortt  famous  in  the 
history  of  the  American  wars,  is  situated  on  an  eminence,  on  the 
the  west  side  of  lake  Champlain,  just  north^^f  the  entrance  of  the 
outlet  from  lake  George  into  lake  Champlain,  fifteen  miles  south  of 
Crown  Point,  twenty-four  north  of  Whitehall ;  Ion.  73*'.  27'.  W. ; 
lat.  43^.  30'.  N.  It  is  now  in  ruins.  Considerable  remains  of  the 
fortifications  are  still  to  be  seen.  The  stone  walls  of  the  fort,  which 
are  now  standing,  are  in  some  places,  thirty  feet  high.  Mount 
Defiance  lies  about  a  mile  south  of  the  fort,  and  Mount  Indepen- 
dence is  about  half  a  mile  distant,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  lake, 
in  Orwell,  Vermont.  c 

It  was  built  by  the  French,  in  the  year  1756,  and  had  alfthe 
advantages  that  art  and  nature  could  give  it ;  being  defended  on 
three  sides  by  water,  surrounded  by  rocks,  and  where  that  fails, 
the  French  erected  a  breast  work  nine  feet  high.  The  English  and 
Colonial  troops,  under  General  Abercrombie  were  defeated  here  in 
the  year  1758,  b«t  it  was  taken  the  year  following  by  General 
Amherst.  It  was  surprised  by  Colonels  Allen  and  Arnold,  May 
10,  1775.  Was  retaken  by  General  Burgoyne  in  July,  1777,  and 
was  evacuated  after  his  surrender,  the  garrison  returning  to  St. 
Johns. 

%■'■    ^ 


as  I 

bra^ 

on  ^ 

tak( 

T 

ranli 

tof» 

file, 

afon 

inst£ 


NARRATIVE. 


13 


leighty^three  men  near  the  garrison,  and  sent  the 
boats  back  for  the  rear  guard,  commanded  by  Col. 
Seth  Warner,  but  the  day  began  to  dawn,  and  1 
found  myself  under  a  necessity  to  attack  the 
fort,  before  the  rear  could  cross  the  lake  ;  and,  as  it 
was  viewed  hazardous,  I  harangued  the  officers 
and  soldiers  in  the  manner  following : — 

"  Friends  and  fellow  soldiers.  You  have,  for  a 
number  of  years  past  been  a  scourge  and  terror 
to  arbitrary  power.  Your  valor  has  been  famed 
abroad,  and  acknowledged,  as  appears  by  the 
advice  and  orders  to  me,  from  the  General  As- 
sembly of  Connecticut,  to  surprise  and  take  the 
garrison  now  before  us.  I  now  propose  to  advance 
before  you,  and,  in  person,  conduct  you  through 
the  wicket-gate ;  for  we  must  this  morning  either 
quit  our  pretensions  to  valor,  or  possess  ourselves 
of  this  fortress  in  a  few  minutes ;  and,  inasmuch 
as  it  is  a  desperate  attempt,  which  none  but  the 
bravest  of  men  dare  undertake,  1  do  not  urge  it 
on  any  contrary  to  his  will.  You  that  will  under- 
take voluntarily,  poise  your  firelocks." 

The  men  being,  at  this  time,  drawn  up  in  thr^e 
ranks,  each  poised  his  firelock.  I  ordered  thena 
to  face  to  the  right,  and  at  the  head  of  the  centre- 
file,  marched  them  immediately  to  the  wicket-gate 
aforesaid,  where  I  found  a  sentry  posted,  who 
instantly  snapped  his  fusee  at  me:  I  ran  immediately 


f  ■ 


:»., 


14 


ETHAN  ALLEN'S 


[i 


towards  him,  and  he  retreated  through  the  cov- 
ered way  into  the  parade  within  the  garrison,  gave 
a  halloo,  and  ran  under  a  bomb-proof.  My  party, 
who  followed  me  into  the  fort,  I  formed  on  the 
parade  in  such  a  manner  as  to  face  the  two  bar- 
racks which  faced  each  other. 

The  garrison  being  asleep,  except  the  sentries, 
we  gave  three  huzzas  which  greatly  surprised  them. 
One  of  the  sentries  made  a  pass  at  one  of  my  offi- 
cers with  a  charged  bayonet,  and  slightly  wounded 
him :  My  first  thought  was  to  kill  him  with  my 
sword ;  but,  in  an  instant,  I  altered  the  design  and 
fury  of  the  blow  to  a  slight  cut  on  the  side  of  the 
head ;  upon  which  he  dropped  his  gun,  and  asked 
quarter,  which  I  readily  granted  him,  and  demand- 
ed of  him  the  place  where  the  commanding  officer 
kept ;  he  shewed  me  a  pair  of  stairs  in  the  front 
of  a  barrack,  on  the  west  part  of  the  garrison,  which 
l^d  up  to  a  second  story  in  said  barrack,  to  which 
I  immediately  repaired,  and  ordered  the  com- 
mander, Capt.  De  la  Place,  to  come  forth  instant- 
ly, or  I  would  sacrifice  the  whole  garrison ;  at 
which  the  Capt.  came  immediately  to  the  door, 
with  his  breeches  in  his  hand;  when  1  ordered  him 
to  deliver  me  the  fort  instantly ;  he  asked  me  by 
what  authority  I  demanded  it :  I  answered  him, 
"  In  the  name  of  the  great  Jehovah,  and  the  Con- 


:*;. 


*If 

this  p\ 
ities 


NARRATIVE. 


15 


'^  5 


tinental  Congress,^^*  The  authority  of  the  Con- 
gress being  very  little  known  at  that  time,  he  be- 
gan to  £'>eak  again;  but  I  interrupted  him,  and 
with  my  drawn  sword  over  his  head,  again  de- 
manded an  immediate  surrender  of  the  garrison  ; 
with  which  he  then  complied,  and  ordered  his  men 
to  be  forthwith  paraded  without  arms,  as  he  had 
given  up  the  garrison.  Jn  the  mean  time  some  of 
my  officers  had  given  orders,  and  in  consequence 
thereof,  sundry  of  the  barrack  doors  were  beat 
down,  and  about  one  third  of  the  garrison  impris- 
oned, which  consisted  of  the  said  commander,  a 
Lieut.  FeltLam,  a  conductor  of  artillery,  a  gunner, 
two  sergeants,  and  forty -four  rank  and  file ;  about 
one  hundred  pieces  of  cannon,  one  thirteen  inch 
mortar,  and  a  number  of  swivels.  This  surprise 
was  carried  into  execution  in  the  grey  of  the  morn- 
ing of  the  tenth  day  of  May,  1 775.  The  sun  seem- 
ed to  rise  that  morning  with  a  superior  lustre  ;  and 
Ticonderoga  and  its  dependencies  smiled  on  its 
conquerors,  who  tossed  about  the  flowing  bowl, 
and  wished  success  to  Congress,  and  the  liberty 
and  freedom  of  America.  Happy  it  was  for  me, 
at  that  time,  that  the  then  future  pages  of  the  book 
of  fate,  which  afterwards  unfolded  a  miserable 


*  If  the  Colonel  has  expressed  a  little  of  his  usual  severity  in 
this  place,  he  might  have  remarked  also,  that  neither  of  the  author- 
ities he  mentioned  were  much  known  in  a  British  camp. 


«f 


16 


ETHAN  ALLEN'S 


scene  of  two  years  and  eight  months  imprisonment, 
were  hid  from  my  view. 

But  to  return  to  my  narration:  Col.  Warner, 
with  the  rear  guard,  crossed  the  lake,  and  joined 
me  early  in  the  morning,  whom  I  sent  off,  without 
loss  of  time,  with  about  one  hundred  men,  to  take 
possession  of  Crown  Point,  which  was  garrisoned 
with  a  Serjeant  and  twelve  men ;  which  he  took 
possession  of  the  same  day,  as  also  of  upwards  of 
one  hundred  pieces  of  cannon.  But  one  thing 
now  remained  to  be  done,  to  make  ourselves  com- 
plete masters  of  lake  Champlain ;  this  was  to  pos- 
sess ourselves  of  a  sloop  of  war,  which  was  then 
lying  at  St.  John's ;  to  effect  which,  it  was  agreed 
in  a  council  of  war,  to  arm  and  man  out  a  certain 
schooner,  which  lay  at  South  Bay,  and  that  Capt. 
(now  general)  Arnold*  should  command  her,  and 
that  I  should  command  the*batteaux.  The  neces- 
sary preparations  being  made,  we  set  sail  from 


*  This  name,  which  now  calls  to  mind  the  idea  of  treason,  at 
every  mention  of  it,  is  "  damned  to  everlasting  fame."  His  early 
history,  with  his  conduct  during  the  revolution,  is  probably  fami- 
liar to  every  school  boy.  His  subsequent  life  is  thus  described  by 
Dr.  Allen,  in  his  American  Biographical  Dictionary. 

"  From  the  conclusion  of  the  war  till  his  death.  General  Arnold 
resided  chiefly  in  England.  In  1786  he  was  at  St.  Johns,  New 
Brunswick,  engaged  in  trade  and  navigation,  and  again  in  1790. 
For  some  cause  he  became  very  unpopular  ;  in  1792  or  1793,  was 
hung  in  effigy »  and  the  mayor  found  it  necessary  to  read  the  riot 


NARRATIVE. 


17 


Ticonderoga,  in  quest  of  the  sloop,  which  was 
mudh  larger,  and  carried  more  guns  and  heavier 
metal  than  the  schooner.  General  Arnold,  with 
the  schooner,  sailing  faster  than  the  batteaux,  ar- 
rived at  St.  Johns;  and  by  surprise,  possessed 
himself  of  the  sloop,  before  I  could  arrive  with  the 

act,  and  a  company  of  troops  was  called  out  to  qrell  the  mob.  Re- 
pairing to  the  West  Indies  in  1794,  a  French  fleet  anchored  at  the 
same  island  ;  he  became  alarmed  least  he  should  be  detained  by 
the  American  allies  and  passed  the  fleet  concealed  on  a  raft  of 
lumber,  lie  died  in  Gloucester  place,  London,  June  14,  1801. — 
He  married  Margaret,  the  daughter  of  Edward  Shippen  of  Phila- 
delphia, chief  justice,  and  a  loyalist.  General  Green,  it  is  said, 
was  his  rival.  She  combined  facinatinjj  manners  with  strenorth  of 
mind.  She  died  at  London,  August  24,  1804,  aged  43.  His  sons 
were  men  of  property  in  Canada  in  1829. — His  character  presents 
little  to  be  commended.  His  daring  courage  may  indeed  excite 
admiration ;  but  it  was  a  courage  without  reflection  and  without 
principle.  He  fought  bravely  for  his  country  and  he  bled  in  her 
cause  ;  but  his  country  owed  him  no  returns  of  gratitude,  for  his 
subsequent  conduct  proved,  that  he  had  no  honest  regard  to  her 
interests,  but  was  governed  by  selfish  considerations.  His  progress 
from  self-indulgence  to  treason  was  easy  and  rapid.  He  was  vain 
and  luxurious,  and  to  gratify  his  giddy  desires  he  must  resort  to 
meanness,  dishonesty,  and  extortion.  These  vices  brought  with 
them  disgrace  ;  and  the  contempt,  into  which  he  fell,  awakened  a 
spirit  of  revenge,  and  left  him  to  the  unrestrained  influence  of  his 
cupidity  and  passion.  Thus  from  the  high  fame,  to  which  his  bra- 
very had  elevated  him,  he  descended  into  infamy.  Thus  too 
he  furnished  new  evidence  of  the  infatuation  of  the  human  mind  in 
attaching  such  value  to  the  reputation  of  a  soldier,  which  may  be 
obtained,  while  the  heart  is  unsound  and  every  moral  sentiment  is 
entirely  depraved." 


'^1 


18 


ETHAN  ALLEN  S 


I 


batteaux :  He  also  made  prisoners  of  a  serjeairt 
and  twelve  men,  who  w  ere  garrisoned  at  that  place. 
It  is  worthy  of"  remark  that  as  soon  as  General 
Arnold  had  secured  the  prisoners  on  board,  and 
had  made  preparation  for  sailing,  the  wind,  which 
but  a  few  hom^s  before  was  fresh  in  the  south,,  and 
well  served  to  carry  us  to  St.  Johns,  now  shifted, 
and  came  fresh  from  the  north  ;  and  in  about  one 
hour's  time.  General  Arnold  sailed  with  the  prize 
and  schooner  for  Ticonderoga.  When  I  mel  him 
with  my  party,  within  a  few  miles  of  St.  Johns,  he 
saluted  me  with  a  discharge  of  cannon,  which  I  re- 
turned with  a  volley  of  small  arms.  This  being 
repeated  three  times,  I  went  on  board  the  sloop 
with  my  party,  where  several  loyal  Congress 
healths  were  drank. 

We  were  now  masters  of  lake  Champlain,  and 
the  garrison  depending  thereon.  This  success  I 
viewed  of  consequence  in  the  scale  of  American 
politics  ;  for,  if  a  settlement  between  the  then  col- 
onies and  Great  Britain,  had  soon  taken  place,  it 
would  have  been  easy  to  have  restored  these  ac- 
quisitions ;  but  viewing  the  then  future  consequen- 
,  ces  of  a  cruel  war,  as  it  has  really  proved  to  be, 
and  the  command  of  that  lake,  garrisons,  artillery,, 
&c.,  it  must  be  viewed  to  be  of  signal  importance 
to  the  American  cause,  and  it  is  marvellous  to* me 
that  we  ever  lost  the  command  of  it.     Nothing  but 


\ 


1 


III 


NA^ 


RATIVE. 


19 


taking  a  Burgoyne  witli  a  whole  British  army, 
could,  in  my  opinion,  atone  for  it ;  and  notwith- 
standing such  an  extraordinary  victory,  we  must 
be  obliged  to  regain  the  command  of  that  lake 
again,  be  the  cost  what  it  will ;  by  doing  this  Can- 
ada will  easily  be  brought  into  union  and  con- 
federacy with  the  United  States  of  America.  Such 
an  event  would  put  it  out  of  the  power  of  the  west- 
ern tribes  of  Indians  to  carry  on  a  war  with  us, 
and  be  a  solid  and  durable  bar  against  any  further 
inhuman  barbarities  committed  on  our  frontier  in- 
habitants, by  cruel  and  blood-thirsty  savages ;  for 
it  is  impossible  for  them  to  carry  on  a  war,  except 
they  are  supported  by  the  trade  and  commerce  of 
some  civilized  nation ;  which  to  them  would  be 
impracticable,  did  Canada  compose  a  part  of  tho^ 
American  empire. 

Early  in  the  fall  of  the  year,  the  little  army  un- 
der the  command  of  the  Generals  Schuyler  and 
Montgomery,  were  ordered  to  advance  into  Can- 
ada. I  *was  at  Ticonderoga,  when  this  order 
arrived ;  and  the  Generals,  with  mo^t  of  the  field 
officers,  requested  me  to  attend  them  in  the  expe- 
dition; and,  though  at  that  time  I  had  no  commis- 
sion from  Congress,  yet  they  engaged  me,  that  I 
should  be  considered  as  an  officer,  the  same  as 
though  I  had  a  commission ;  and  should,  as  occa- 
sion might  require,  command  certain  detachments 


|: 


20 


t    , 

ETHAN  ALLEN  S 


<« 


t2> 


of  the  army.  This  I  considered  as  an  honorable 
offer,  and  did  not  hesitate  to  comply  with  it,  and 
advanced  with  the  army  to  the  fsle-aux-Noix  ;  * 
from  whence  I  was  ordered  by  the  General,  to  go 
in  company  with  Major  Brown,  and  certain  inter- 
preters, through  the  woods  into  Canada,  with 
letters  to  the  fJanadians,  and  to  let  them  know 
that  the  design  of  the  army  was  only  against  the 
English  garrisons,  and  not  the  country,  their  liber- 
ties, or  religion  ;  and  having,  through  much  danger, 
negotiated  this  business,  I  returned  to  the  Isle-aux- 
Noix  in  the  fore  part  of  September,  when  Gen. 
Schuyler  returned  to  Albany  ;  and  in  consequence 
the  command  devolved  upon  General  Montgomery, 
whom  1  assisted  in  laying  a  line  of  circumvallation 
round  the  fortress  of  St.  Johns.f  Alter  which  I 
was  ordered,  by  the  General,  to  make  a  second 
tour  into  Canada,  upon  nearly  the  same  design  as 

*  A  small  island,  containing  about  85  acres,  ten  miles  north  of 
the  boundary  lines  of  the  States  of  New- York  -nd  Verrnont.  It  is 
strongly  fortified,  and  completely  commands  the  water  communi- 
cation from  lake  Champlain.  Here  the  British  had  a  small  gar- 
rison. 

t  St.  Johns  is  a  thriving  village,  in  the  County  of  Chambly, 
situated  at  the  north  end  of  lake  Champlain,  on  the  west  bank  of 
the  Sorel  river,  twenty-eight  miles  southward  of  Montreal.  It  is 
the  port  of  entry  and  clearance,  between  the  United  States  and 
Canada.  It  is  now  connected  with  the  St.  Lawrence  river  by  a 
rail-road.  f 


befc 
sign 
cour 
choc 
whic 
for  tj 
politi 
ceed 

Sore] 
whicj 
itics ; 
the  ri 
the  f 
good 
guan 

some 

ing 

with 

gueuil 

deten 

I  but  hi 


NARRATIVE. 


21 


hie 

and 

.  .  * 
>■ » 

)  go 

ler- 

;vith 

now 

;  the 

ber- 

iger, 

aux- 

Gen. 

ence 

nery, 

ation 

ichi 

cond 

gn  as 

[lorth  of 
.  It  is 
)  I  muni- 
all  gar- 

hambly, 
bank  of 
il.  It  is 
ates  and 
ver  by  a 


before ;  and  withal  to  observe  the  disposition,  de- 
signs and  movements  of  the  inhabitants  of  the 
country.  This  reconnoiter  I  undertook  reluctantly, 
choosing  rather  to  assist  at  the  seige  of  St.  Johns, 
which  was  then  closely  invested  ;  but  my  esteem 
for  the  general's  person,  and  opinion  of  him  as  a 
politician  and  brave  ofHccr,  induced  me  to  pro- 
ceed. 

I  passed  through  all  the  parishes  on  the  river 
Sorel,*  to  a  parish  at  the  mouth  of  the  same, 
which  is  called  by  the  same  name,  preaching  pol- 
itics ;  and  went  from  thence  across  the  Sorel  to 
the  river  St.  Lawrence,  and  up  the  river  through 
the  parishes  to  Longueuil,  and  so  far  met  with 
good  success  as  an  itinerant.  In  this  round  my 
guard  were  Canadians,  my  interpreter,  and 
some  few  attendants  excepted.  On  the  morn- 
ing ol  the  24th  day  of  September,  I  set  out 
with  my  guard  of  about  eighty  men,  trom  Lon- 
gueuil, to  go  to  Laprairie ;  t  from  -whence  I 
[determined  to  go  to  General  Montgomery  o  camp  ; 
I  but  had  not  advanced  two  miles  before  I  met  with 

* 

*  Sorel  or  Richelieu  River,  the  outlet  of  Lake  Champlain,  which 
lafter  a  course  of  about  69    miles  north,  empties  into  the  St.  Law- 
rence, in  north  lat.  46°.  10'.  and  lon(r.72^  25'.  west.  Sorel  Fort,  built 
|by  the  French,  is  at  the  western  point  of  the  mouth  of    Aa   river. 

t  Laprairie,  a  populous  little  village,  on  the  river  St.  Lawrence, 
in  Canada,  eighteen  miles  north  of  St.  Johns,  £ind  nine  south-west 
)f  Montreal. 


I   v 


22 


ETHAN  ALLEN  S 


Major  Brown,  who  ha«  since  been  advanced  to 
the  rank  of  a  Colonel,  who  desired  me  to  halt, 
saying  that  he  had  something  of  importance  to 
communicate  to  me  and  my  confidants ;  upon 
which  I  halted  the  party,  and  went  into  a  house, 
and  took  a  private  room  with  him  and  several  of 
my  associates,  where  Col.  Brown  proposed  that, 
"  provided  I  would  return  to  Longueuil,  and  pro- 
cure some  cjtnoes,  so  as  to  cross  the  river  St. 
Lawrence  a  httle  north  ot  Montreal,  he  would  cross 
it  a  little  to  the  south  of  the  town,  with  near  two 
hundred  men,  as  he  had  boats  sufficient ;  and 
that  we  could  make  ourselves  m.asters  of  Montreal." 
This  plan  w^as  readily  approved  by  me  and  those 
in  council ;  and  in  consequence  of  which  I  re- 
turned to  Longueuil,  collected  a  few  canoes,  and 
added  about  thirty  English- Americans  to  my  par- 
ty, and  crossed  the  river  in  the  night  of  the  24th, 
agreeably  to  the  before  proposed  plan. 

My  whole  party  at  this  time,  consisted  of  about 
one  hundred  and  ten  men,  near  eighty  of  whom 
were  Canadians.  We  were  most  of  the  night 
crossing  the  river,  as  we  had  so  few  canoes  that 
they  had  to  pass  and  repass  three  timec,  to  carry 
my  party  across.  Soon  after  day-break,  I  set  a 
guard  between  mc  and  the  town,  with  special 
orders  to  let  no  person  whatever  pass  or  repass 
them,  another  guard  on  the  other  end  of  the  road, 


NARRATIVE. 


23 


dto 

halt, 

e  to 

ipon 

)use, 

alof 

that, 

pro- 
!r  St. 
cross 
r  two 
;  and 
real." 
those 

I  re- 
3,  and 

par- 

24th, 

I  about 

rhom 

night 

s  that 

carry 

set  a 

pecial 

(repass 

road* 


with  like  directions  ;  in  the  mean  time,  J  recon- 
noitered  the  best  ground  to  make  a  defence, 
expecting  Col.  Brown's  party  was  landed  on  the 
other  side  of  tho  town,  he  having,  the  day  before, 
agreed  to  give  three  huzzas  with  his  men  early  in 
the  morning,  which  signal  I  was  to  return,  that 
we  might  each  know  thu^  both  parties  were  land- 
ed ;  but  the  sun,  by  this  time,  being  nearly  two 
hours  high,  and  the  sign  failing,  1  began  to  con- 
clude myself  to  be  in  a  premunire,  and  would 
have  crossed  the  river  back  again,  but  I  knew  the 
enemy  would  have  discovered  such  an  attempt ; 
and  as  there  could  not  more  than  one  third  part  of 
my  troops  cross  at  one  time,  the  other  two-thirds 
Iwould  of  course  fall  into  their  hands.  This  I  could 
ot  reconcile  to  my  own  feelings  as  a  man,  much 
ess  as  an  officer:  I  therefore  concluded  to  main- 
ain  the  ground,  if  possible,  and  all  to  fare  alike, 
n  consequence  of  this  resolution,  I  despatched 
wo  messengers,  one  to  Laprairie,  to  Col.  Brown, 
nd  the  other  to  PAssomption,  a  French  settle- 
ent,  to  Mr.  Walker,  #ho  was  in  our  interest, 
equesting  their  speedy  assistance,  giving  them, 
t  the  same  time  to  understand  my  critical  situa- 
ion.  In  the  mean  time,  sundry  persons  came  to 
y  guards,  pretending  to  be  friends,  but  were  by 
em  taken  prisoners  and  brought  to  me.  These 
ordered  to  confinement,  until  their  friendship 


I: 


"V 


24 


ETHAK  ALLEN  S 


".I 


;%.' 


ii 

11 


could  be  further  confirmed ;  for  I  was  jealous 
they  v\  ere  spies,  as  they  proved  to  be  afterwards. 
One  of  the  principal  of  them  making  his  escape,  ex- 
posed the  weakness  of  my  party,  which  was  the 
final  cause  of  my  misfortune ;  for  I  have  been 
since  informed  that  Mr.  Walker,  agreeably  to  my 
desire,  exerted  himself,  and  had  raised  a  con- 
siderable number  of  men  for  my  assistance,  which 
brought  him  into  difficulty  afterwards,  but  upon 
hearing  of  my  misfortune,    he   disbanded'  them 


agam. 


^  The  town  of  Montreal  was  in  a  great  tumult. 
General  Carleton  and  the  royal  party,  made  every 
preparation  to  go  on  board  their  vessels  of  force, 
as  I  was  afterwards  informed,  but  the  spy  esca- 
ped from  my  guard  to  the  town,  occasioned  an 
alteration  in  their  policy,  and  emboldened  Gen. 
Carleton  to  send  the  force  which  he  had  there 
collected,  out  against  me.  1  had  previously  cho- 
sen my  ground,  but  when  I  saw  the  number  of 
the  enemy  as  they  sallied  out  of  the  town,  I  per- 
ceived it  would  be  a  d*^^  of  trouble,  if  not  of| 
rebuke  ;  but  I  had  no  chance  to  flee,  as  Montreal 
was  situated  on  an  island,  and  the  St.  LawranceJ 
cut  off  my  communication  to  General  Montgomery's! 
camp.  I  encouraged  my  soldiery  to  bravely  de- 
fend themselves,  that  we  should  soon  have  help, 
and  that  we  should  be  able  to  keep  the  groundJ 


NARRATIVE. 


25 


bus 
irds. 
ex- 
;  the 
been 
)iny 
con- 
i^hich 
upon 
them 

imult. 
every 
force, 
esca- 
ed  an 
Gen. 
there 
T  cho- 
Der  of 
per- 
lot  ofi 
)ntreal 
/ranee  I 
nery's' 
ly  de- 
help,! 
round,! 


if  no  more.  This,  and  much  more,  I  affirmed 
with  the  greatest  seeming  assurance,  and  which 
in  reaUty  I  thought  to  be  in  some  degree  prob- 
able. 

The  enemy  consisted  of  not  more  than  forty 
regular  troops,  together  with  a  mixed  multitude, 
chiefly  Canadians,  with  a  number  of  English  who 
hved  in  town,  and  some  Indians  ;  in  all  to  the  num- 
ber of  near  five  hundred. 

The  reader  will  notice  that  most  of  my  party 
were  Canadians  ;  indeed  it  was  a  motley  parcel  of 
soldiery  which  composed  both  parties.  However, 
the  enemy  began  to  attack  from  wood-piles,  ditch- 
es, buildings,  and  such  like  places,  at  a  consider- 
able distance,  and  I  returned  the  fire  from  a  situ- 
ation more  than  equally  advantageous.  The  at- 
tack began  between  two  and  three  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon,  just  before  w^hich  I  .  dered  a  volunteer 
by  the  name  of  Richard  Young,  with  a  detach- 
ment of  nine  men  as  a  flank  guard,  which,  under 
the  cover  of  the  bank  of  the  river,  could  not  only 
annoy  the  enemy,  but  at  the  same  time,  serve  as  a 
flank  guard  to  the  left  of  the  main  body. 

The  fire  continued  for  sometime  on  both  sides ; 
and  I  was  confident  that  such  a  remote  method  of 
attack  could  not  carry  the  ground,  provided  it 
should  be  continued  till  night :  but  near  half  the 
body  of  the  enemy  began  to  flank  round  to  my 


I'    . 


I:     )■  'I 


m 


i 


.)»■ 


i, 


!' 


26 


ETHAN  Allen's 


I 


i! 

I  ( 

I 


.«'!«• 


right ;  upon  which  I  ordered  a  volunteer,  by  the 
name  of  John  Dugan,  who  had  lived  many  years  in 
Canada,  and  understood  the  French  language,  to 
detach  about  fifty  of  the  Canadians,  and  post  him- 
self at  an  advantageous  ditch,  which  was  on  my 
right,  to  prevent  my  being  surrounded:  He  ad- 
vanced with  the  detachment,  but  instead  of  occu- 
pying the  post,  made  his  escape,  as  did  likewise 
Mr.  Young  upon  the  left,  with  their  detachments. 
I  soon  perceived  that  the  enemy  was  in  possession 
of  the  ground,  which  Dugan  should  have  occupied. 
At  this  time  1  had  but  about  fortv  i'lve  men  with 
me ;  some  of  whom  were  wounded ;  the  enemy 
kept  closing  round  me,  nor  was  it  in  my  power  to 
prevent  it ;  by  which  means,  my  situation,  which 
was  advantageous  in  the  first  part  of  the  attack, 
ceased  to  be  so  in  the  last ;  and  being  almost  en- 
tirely surrounded  with  such  vast,  unequal  numbers, 
I  ordered  a  retreat,  but  found  that  those  of  the 
enemy,  who  were  of  the  country,  and  their  In- 
dians, could  run  as  fast  as  my  men,  though  the 
regulars  could  not.  Thus  I  retreated  near  a  mile, 
and  some  of  the  enemy,  with  the  savages,  kept 
flanking  me,  and  others  crowded  hard  in  the  rear. 
In  fine,  I  expected,  in  a  very  short  time ,  to  try  the 
w^orld  of  spirits ;  for  I  was  apprehensive  that  no 
quarter  would  be  given  to  me,  and  therefore  had 
determined  lo  sell  my  hfe  as  dear  as  I  could.  One 


'■«.■ 


%  i 


NARRATIVE 


27 


the 

3  in 
to 

im- 

my 

ad- 

:cu- 

tvise 

mts. 

;slon 

3ied. 

with 

lemy 

er  to 
hich 

tack, 
t  en- 

ibers, 

f  the 

ir  In- 
the 
mile, 
kept 
rear. 

l-ythe 
at  no 
•e  had 
.  One 


1 


of  the  enemy's  officers,  boldly  pressing  in  the  rear, 
discharged  his  fusee  at  me  ;  the  ball  whistled  near 
me,  as  did  many  others  that  day.  I  returned  the 
salute,  and  missed  him,  as  running  had  put  us  both 
out  of  breath  ;  for  I  conclude  we  were  not  fright- 
ened :  I  then  saluted  him  w  .i  my  tongue  in  a 
harsh  manner,  and  told  him  that,  inasmuch  as  his 
numbers  were  so  far  superior  to  mine,  I  would 
surrender  provided  I  could  be  treated  with  honor, 
and  be  assured  of  good  quarter  for  my  self  and  the 
men  who  were  with  me ;  and  he  answered  I  should; 
another  officer,  coming  up  directly  after,  confirmed 
the  treaty  ;  upon  which  I  agreed  to  surrender  with 
my  party,  which  then  consisted  of  thirty-one  effec- 
tive men,  and  seven  wounded.  I  ordered  them 
to  ground  their  arms,  which  they  did. 

The  officer  I  capitulated  with,  then  directed  me 
and  my  party  to  advance  towards  him,  which  was 
done ;  1  handed  him  my  sword,  and  in  half  a  min- 
ute after,  a  savage,  part  of  whose  head  was  shaved, 
being  almost  naked  and  painted,  with  feathers  in- 
termixed with  the  hair  of  the  other  side  of  his 
head,  came  running  'o  nie  with  an  incredible 
swiftness  ;  he  seemed  to  advance  with  more  than 
mortal  speed  ;  as  he  approached  near  me,  his  hell- 
ish visage  was  beyond  all  description;  snake's 
eyes  appear  innocent  in  comparison  of  his ;  his 


>  I 


<  I 


it 


•4»f 


\>\ 


\\ 


* 


a"^ 


!' 


28 


ETHAN  Allen's 


1^'! 


■-! 


I:  t 


features  extorted  ;*  malice,  death,  murder,  and  the 
wrath  of  devils  and  damned  spirits  are  the  em- 
blems of  his  countenance  ;  and  in  less  than  twelve 
feet  of  me,  presented  his  firelock  ;  at  the  instant 
of  his  present,  I  twitched  the  officer,  to  whom  I 
gave  my  sword,  between  me  and  t'le  savage  ;  but 
he  flew  round  with  great  fury,  trying  to  single  me 
out  to  shoot  me  without  killing  the  officer ;  but  by 
this  time  I  was  nearly  as  nimble  as  he,  keeping  the 
officer  in  such  a  position  that  his  danger  was  my 
defence ;  but,  in  less  than  half  a  minute,  I  was 
attacked  by  just  such  another  imp  of  hell :  Then 
I  made  the  officer  fly  around  with  incredible  velo- 
city, for  a  few  seconds  of  time,  when  I  perceived 
a  Canadian,  who  had  lost  one  eye,  as  appeared 
afterwards,  taking  my  part  against  the  savages; 
and  in  an  instant  an  Irishman  came  to  my  assist- 
ance with  a  fixed  bayonet,  and  drove  away  the 
fiends,  swearing  by  Jasus  he  would  kill  them. 
This  tragic  scene  composed  my  mind.  The  es- 
caping from  so  awful  a  death,  made  even  imprison- 
ment happy ;  the  more  so  as  my  conquerors  on 
the  field  treated  me  with  great  civility  and  polite- 
ness.  ^    "  > 

The  regular  officers  said  that  they  were  very 

'••..'  ■   •  '  i  .  \  r'-  :■  .,    ■     ; 

.  "•    ,      ',:^      ■  .    ■  ■■  V  .  '       -  ■  .'  ,•„>■■  ■    -'■  V  J  ■ 

*  Probably  meant  to  be  distorted ;  though,  from  the  description 
it  would  appear  that  his  visage  had  been  extorted  from  some  "  Gor- 
gon  or  chimccra  dire. 


WOIJ 


■^ 


w^ 


NARRATIVE. 


29 


happy  to  see  Colonel  Allen:  I  answered  tlierti, 
that  I  should  rather  choose  to  have  seen  them 
at  General  Montgomery's  camp.  The  gentlemen 
replied,  that  they  gave  full  credit  to  what  I  said, 
and  as  I  walked  to  the  town,  which  was,  as  I 
should  guess,  more  than  two  miles,  a  British  of- 
ficer walking  at  my  right  hand,  and  one  of  the 
French  noblesse  at  my  left ;  the  latter  of  which, 
in  the  action,  had  his  eyebrow  carried  away  by 
a  glancing  shot,  but  was  nevertheless  very  mer- 
ry and  facetious,  and  no  abuse  was  offered  me 
till  I  came  to  the  barrack  yard  at  Montreal,  where 
I  met  general  Prescott,  who  asked  me  my  name, 
which  1  told  him :  He  then  asked  me,  whether  I 
was  that  Col.  Allen,  who  took  Ticonderoga.  I 
told  him  I  was  the  very  man:  Then  he  shook  his 
cane  over  my  head,  calling  many  hard  names, 
among  which  he  frequently  used  the  word  rebel, 
and  put  himself  in  a  great  rage.  I  told  him  he 
would  do  well  not  to  cane  me,  for  I  was  not  ac- 
customed to  it,  and  shook  my  fist  at  him,  telling 
him  that  was  the  beede  of  mortahty  for  him,  if  he 
offered  to  strike ;  upon  which  Capt.  M^Cloud  of 
the  British,  pulled  him  by  the  skirt,  and  whisper- 
ed to  him,  as  he  afterwards  told  me,  to  this  im- 
port; that  is  was  inconsistent  with  his  honor  to 
strike  a  prisoner.  He  then  ordered  a  sergeant's 
command   with  fixed  bayonets  to  come  forward. 


.'  i  '1 


f   •! 


I 


!* 


30 


EATHAN    ALLEN  S 


!i 


m 


.  I' 


i 


and  kill  thirteen  Canadians,  which  were  includ-' 
ed  in  the  treaty  aforesaid. 

It  cut  me  to  the  heart  to  see  the  Canadians  in 
so  hard  a  case,  in  consequence  of  their  having  been 
true  to  me ;  they  were  wringing  their  hands,  say- 
ing their  prayers,  as  I  concluded,  and  expected 
immediate  death.  I  therefore  stepped  between 
the  executioners  and  the  Canadians,  opened  my 
clothes,  and  told  Gen.  Prescott  to  thrust  his  bay- 
onet into  my  breast,  for  I  was  the  sole  cause  of 
the  Canadians  taking  up  arms. 

The  guard,  in  the  mean  time,  rolling  their  eye- 
balls from  the  General  to  me,  as  though  impatient- 
ly waiting  his  dread  commands  to  sheath  their 
bayonets  in  my  heart ;  I  could,  however,  plainly 
discern,  that  he  was  in  a  suspense  and  quandary 
about  the  matter:  This  gave  me  additional  hopes 
of  succeeding ;  for  my  design  was  not  to  die,  but 
to  save  the  Canadians  by  a  finesse.  The  general 
ytood  a  minute,  when  he  made  me  the  following 
reply  ;  "I  wiH  not  execute  you  now ;  but  you  shall 
grace  a  halter  at  Tyburn,  God  damn  you."      :  ■.. 

I  remember  I  disdained  his  mentioning  such  a 
place;  I  was,  notwithstanding,  a  little  pleased 
with  the  expression,  as  it  significantly  conveyed  to 
me  the  idea  of  postponing^  the  present  appearance 
of  death  ;  besides  his  sentence  was  by  no  means 
final,  as  to  "  gracing  a  halter,"  although  I   had 


K 


NARRATIVE.  31 

anxiety  about  it,  after  I  landed  in  England,  as  the 
reader  will  find  in  the  course  of  this  history.  Gen. 
Prescott  then  ordered  one  of  his  officers  to  take 
me  on  board  the  Gaspee  schooner  of  war,  and 
confine  me,  hands  and  feet,  in  irons,which  was  done 
the  same  afternoon  I  was  taken. 

The  action  continued  an  hour  and  three  quar- 
ters, by  the  watch,  and  I  know  not  to  this  day 
how  many  of  my  men  were  killed,  though  I  am 
certain  there  were  but  few.  If  I  remember  right, 
7  were  wounded  ;  one  of  them,  Wm.  Stewart,  by 
name,  was  wounded  by  a  savage  with  a  tomahawk, 
after  he  was  taken  prisoner  and  disarmed,  but 
was  rescued  by  some  of  the  generous  enemy ; 
and  so  far  recovered  of  his  wounds,  that  he  after- 
wards went  with  the  other  prisoners  to  England. 

Of  the  enemy,  were  killed  a  major  Garden,  who 
had  been  wounded  in  eleven  different  batdes,  and 
an  eminent  merchant,  Patterson,  of  Montreal,  and 
some  others,  but  I  never  knew  their  whole  loss, 
as  their  accounts  were  different.  I  am  apprehen- 
sive that  it  is  rare,  that  so  much  ammunition 
was  expended,  and  so  little  execution  done  by  it ; 
though  such  of  my  party  as  stood  the  ground,  be- 
haved with  great  fortitude,  much  exceeding  that 
of  the  enemy,  but  were  not  the  best  of  marks- 
men, and,  I  am  apprehensive,  were  all  killed  or  !  j  [| 
taken  ;  the  wounded  were  all  put  into  the  hospital 


'■  i  ;l 


I,   • 


)    ''■ 


HI 


i     I 


t 


f^ 


82 


1^^ 


ETHAN  ALLEN  .S 


I 


at  Montreal,  and  those  that  were  not,  were  put 
on  board  of  different  vessels  in  the  river,  and 
shackled  together  by  pairs,  viz.  two  men  fastened 
together  by  one  hand-cuff,  being  closely  fixed  to 
one  wrist  of  each  of  them,  and  treated  with  the 
greatest  severity,  nay  as  criminals. 

I  now  come  to  the  description  of  the  irons, 
which  were  put  on  me  :  The.  hand-cuff  was  of  the 
common  size  and  form,  but  my  leg  irons,  I  should 
imagine  would  weigh  thirty  pounds  ;  the  bar  was 
eight  feet  long,  and  very  substantial ;  the  shackles, 

which  encompassed  my  ancles,  were  very  tight. 
I  was  told  by  the  officer,  who  put  them  on,  that 
it  was  the  king's  plate, "  and  I  heard  other  of  their 
officers  say,  that  it  would  weigh  forty  weight. 
The  irons  were  so  close  upon  my  ancles,  that  I 
could  not  lay  down  in  any  other  manner  than  on 
my  back.  1  was  put  into  the  lowest  and  most 
wretched  part  of  the  vessel,  where  I  got  the  favor 
of  a  chest  to  sit  on  ;  the  same  answered  for  my  bed 
at  night ;  and  having  procured  some  Httle  blocks 
of  the  guard,  who  day  and  night,  with  fixed  bay- 
onets, watched  over  me,  to  lie  under  each  end  of 
the  large  bar  of  my  leg  irons,  to  preserve  my 
ancles  Irom  galling,  while  I  sat  on  the  chest,  or 
lay  back  on  the  same,  though  most  of  the  time, 
night  and  day,  I  sat  on  it ;  but  at  length,  having 
a  desire  to  lie  down  on  my  side,  which  the  close- 


Ihj 

usa^ 

wro 

cess 

wen 

I 

boai 

ring 

of  e 


NARRATIVE. 


33 


ness  of  my  irons  forbid,  I  desired  the  captain  to 
loosen  them  for  that  purpose;  but  was  denied  the 
favor.  The  captain's  name  was  Royal,  who  did 
not  seem  to  be  an  ill-natured  man  ;  but  oftentimes 
said,  that  his  express  orders  were  to  treat  me 
with  such  severity,  which  was  disagreeable  to  his 
own  feelings ;  nor  did  he  ever  insult  me,  though 
many  others,  who  came  on  board  did.  One  of 
the  officers,  by  the  name  of  Bradley,  was  very 
generous  to  me  ;  he  would  often  send  me  victuals 
from  his  own  table  ;  nor  did  a  day  fail,  but  he 
sent  me  a  good  drink  of  grog. 

The  reader  is  now  invited  back  to  the  time'I 
was  put  into  irons.  I  requested  the  privilege  to 
write  to  General  Prescott,  which  was  granted.  I 
reminded  him  of  the  kind  and  generous  manner 
of  my  treatment  of  the  prisoners  I  took  at  Ticon- 
deroga  ;  the  injustice  and  ungentleman-like  usage 
I  had  met  with  from  him,  and  demanded  better 
usage,  but  received  no  answer  from  him.  I  soon  after 
wrote  to  Gen.  Carleton,  which  met  the  same  suc- 
cess. In  the  mean  while,  many  of  those  who 
were  permitted  to  see  me,  were  very  insulting. 

I  was  confined  in  the  manner  1  have  related,  on 
board  the  Gaspee  schooner,  about  six  weeks ;  du- 
ring which  time  I  was  obliged  to  throw  out  plenty 
of  extravagant  language,  which  answered  certain 

purposes,  at  that  time,  better  than  to  grace  a 
history. 


*  i 

m 
f     1 


I   \     i 


■■•»r= 


(. 


34 


ETHAN  ALLEN  3 


1- 


I  • 


To  give  an  instance  ;  upon  being  insulted,  in  a 
fit  of  anger,  I  twisted  oft'  a  nail  with  my  teeth, 
which  I  took  to  be  a  ten-penny  nail ;  it  went 
through  the  mortise  of  the  bar  of  my  hand  cuff, 
and  at  the  same  time  I  swaggered  over  those  who 
abused  me  ;  particularly  a  Doctor  Dace,  who  told 
me  that  1  was  outlawed  by  New-York,  and  de- 
served death  for  several  years  past ;  was  at  last 
fully  ripened  for  the  halter,  and  in  a  fair  way  to 
obtain  it.  When  I  challenged  him,  he  excused 
himself,  in  consequence,  as  he  said,  of  my  being 
a  criminal ;  but  I  flung  such  a  flood  of  language  at 
him  that  it  shocked  him  and  the  spectators,  for 
my  anger  was  very  great.  I  heard  one  say,  damn 
him,  can  he  eat  iron?  After  that,  a  small  padlock 
was  fixed  to  the  hand-cufl*,  instead  of  the  nail ; 
and  as  they  were  mean-spirited  in  their  treatment 
to  me,  so  it  appeared  to  me,  that  they  were 
equally  timorous  and  cowardly.  » ' 

1  was  after  seat,,  with  the  prisoners  taken  with 
me,  to  an  armed  vessel  in  the  river,  which  lay  off 
against  Quebec,  under  the  command  of  Capt. 
M'Cloud,  of  the  British,  who  treated  me  in  a  very 
generous  and  obliging  manner,  and  according  to 
my  rank ;  in  about  twenty-four  hours  1  bid  him 
farewell  with  regret;  but  my  good  fortune  still  con- 
tinu  :d.  The  name  of  the  Captain  of  the  vessel  I 
was  put  on  board,  was  Littlejohn ;  who,  with  hia 


,«f%.        1 


NARRATIVE. 


35 


officers,  behaved  hi  a  polite,  generous,  and  friend- 
Iv  manner.  I  lived  with  tlieni  in  the  cabin,  and 
fared  on  the  best,  my  irons  being  taken  of!*,  con- 
trary to  the  order  he  had  received  from  the  com- 
manding officer;  but  Capt.  Little  John  swore,  that 
a  brave  man  should  not  be  used  as  a  rascal,  on  board 
his  ship. 

Thus  I  found  myself  in  possession  of  happiness 
once  more,  and  the  evils  \  had  lately  suffered, 
gave  me  an  uncommon  relish  lor  it. 

Capt.  Litdejohn  used  to  go  to  Quebec  almost 
every  day,  in  order  to  pay  his  respects  to  certain 
genUemen  and  ladies  ;  being  there  on  a  certain 
day,  he  happened  to  meet  with  some  disagreeable 
treatment,  as  he  imagined,  from  a  Lieut,  of  a  man 
of  war,  and  one  word  brought  on  another,  untill  *^ 
the  Lieutenant  challenged  him  to  a  duel  on  the 
plains  of  Abraham.  Capt.  Litdejohn  was  a  gen- 
deman,  who  entertained  a  high  sense  of  honor,  and 
could  do  no  le.-s  than  accept  the  challenge. 

At  nine  o'clock  the  next  morning  they  were  to 
fight.  The  Captain  returned  in  the  evening,  and 
acquainted  his  Lieutenant  and  me  with  the  affair.  . 
His  Lieutenant  was  a  high  blooded  Scotchman,  as 
well  as  himself,  who  replied  to  his  Captain  that  he 
should  not  want  for  a  second.  With  this  1  inter- 
rupted him  and  gave  the  Captain  to  understand, 
that  since  an  opportunity  had  presented,  I  would' 


* 

■T*-  •"•'' 


H 


\l 


I 


m 


I'l 


36 


ETHAN  ALLEN  S 


■!'!• 


U:]    !.5 


be  glad  to  testify  my  gratitude  to  him,  by  acting 
the  p?rt  ol  a  faithf'i]  second ;  on  which  he  gave 
me  his  hand,  and  said  that  he  wanted  no  better 
man.  Says  he,  I  am  a  King's  officer,  and  you  a 
prisoaer  under  my  care  ;  you  must,  therefore,  go 
with  me,  to  the  place  appointed  in  disguise,  and 
added  further ;  'Yju  must  engage  me,  upon 
the  honor  ot  a  gentleman,  that  whether  I  die  or 
live,  or  whatever  happens,  provided  you  live, 
that  vou  will  return  to  myLieutenc  it  on  board  this 
ship.'  All  this  I  solemnly  engaged  him.  The 
combatants  were  to  discharge  each  a  pocket  pistol, 
and  then  to  fall  on  with  their  iron-hilted  muckle 
w^hangers ;  and  one  of  that  sort  was  allotted  for 
me;  but  some  British  officers,  who  interpose! 
early  in  the  morning,  settled  the  controversy  with- 
out fighting.  .       ,. 

Now  having  enjoyed  eight  or  nine  days'  hap- 
piness, from  the  polite  and  gene^'ous  treatment  of 
Captain  Litdejohn  and  his  officers,  I  was  obliged 
to  bid  them  farew^ell,  parting  with  them  in  as 
friendly  a  manner  as  we  had  lived  together,  which, 
to  the  best  of  my  memory,  was  the  eleventh  of  No- 
vember :  when  a  detachment  of  General  Arnold's 
^  litde   army    appeared   on  Po^nt  Levi,*  opposite 


wa 


*  Levi,  a  point  of  land  in  the  river  St.  Lawrence,  opposite  to  il>e 
city  of  Quebec. 


-*!• 


\ 


•  .'wn 


NARRATIVE. 


37 


-4:- 


QuebeCjV  ho  had  pei  ibrmed  an  extraordinary  march 

through  a  wilderness  country,  with  design  to  have 

surpn^ed  the  capital  of  Canada ;  I  was  then  taken 

on  board  a  vessel  called  the  Adamant,  together 
with  the  prisoners  taken  with  me,  and  put  under 

the  power  of  an  English  Merchant  from  London, 
whose  name  was  Brook  Watson  :  a  man  of  mali- 
cious and  cruel  disposition,  and  who  was  probably 
excited,  in  the  exercise  of  his  malevolence,  by  a 
junto  of  tories,  who  sailed  with  him  to  England  ; 
among  vyhom  were  Col.  Guy  Johnson,  Col.  Closs, 
and  their  attendants  and  associates,  to  the  nuaiber 
of  about  thirty. 

All  the  ship's  crew.  Col.  Closs,  in  his  personal 
behavior  excepted,  behaved  towards  the  prison- 
ers with  that  spirit  of  bitterness,  which  is  the 
peculiar  characteristic  of  tories,  when  they  hrive 
the  friends  of  America  in  their  power,  measuring 
their  loyalty  to  the  English  King  by  the  barbarity, 
fraud  and  deceit  which  they  exercise  towards  the 
whigs.  '      4 

A  small  place  in  the  vessel,  enclosed  with  white 
oak  plank,  was  assigned  for  the  prisoners,  and 
for  me  among  the  rest.  I  should  imagine  that  it 
was  .  not  more  than  tw^enty  feet  one  way,  and 
twenty-two  the  other.  Into  this  place  we  were 
all,  to  the  number  of  thirty-four,  thrust  and  hand- 
cuffed, two  prisoners  more  being  added  to  our 


.'    ^ 


w 


38 


ETHAN  ALLEN'S 


I  i.  I' 

Hi' 


«'■!• 


k:!. 


1^ 


\%. 


number,  Jind  were  provided  with  two  excrement 
tubs ;  in  this  circumference  we  were  obliged  to 
eat  and  perform  the  offices  of  evacuation,  during 
the  voyage  to  England;  and  were  insulted  by 
every  black-guard  sailor  and  tory  on  board,  in 
the  cnielest  manner ;  but  what  is  the  most  surpri- 
sing is,  that  not  one  of  us  died  in  the  passage. 
When  1  was  first  ordered  to  go  into  the  filthy  in- 
closure,  through  a  small  sort  of  door,  I  positively 
refused,  and  endeavored  to  reason  the  before 
named  Brook  Watson  oiit  of  a  conduct  ^v  '.  ro- 
gatory to  every  sentiment  of  honor  and  humanity, 
but  all  to  no  purpose,  my  men  being  forced  in  the 
den  already ;  and  the  rascal  who  had  the  charge 
of  the  prisoners  commanded  me  to  go  immediately 
in  among  the  rest.  He  further  added  that  the 
place  was  good  enough  for  a  rebel ;  that  it  was 
impertinent  for  a  capital  offender  to  talk  of  honor 
or  humanity;  that  any  thing  short  of  a  halter  wa*^ 
too  good  for  me ;  and  that  that  would  be  my  poi- 
,  tion  soon  after  I  landed  in  England  ;  for  which 
purpose  only  I  was  sent  thither.  About  the  same 
time  a  lieutenant  among  the  tories,  insulted  me  in 
a  grievous  manner,  saying  that  I  ought  to  have 
been  executed  for  my  rebellion  against  New-Yo- ' , 
and  spit  in  my  face ;  upon  which,  though  I  wac 
hand-cu;Ted,  I  sprang  at  him  with  both  hands,  and 
knocked  him  partly  down,  but  he  scrambled  along 


.1L 


V-*"V 


":%■: 


c^ 


NARRATIVE. 


39 


y. 
f 


into  the  cabjn,  and  I  after  him  ;  there  he  got  un- 
der the  protection  of  some  men  with  fixed 
bayonets,  who  were  ordered  to  make  ready  to 
drive  me  into  the  place  aforementioned.  I  chal- 
lenged him  to  fight,  notwithstanding  the  impedi- 
ments that  were  on  my  hands,  and  had  the  exalted 
pleasm'e  to  sej  the  rascal  tremble  for  fear;  his 
name  I  have  forgot,  but  Watson  ordered  his  guard 
to  get  me  into  the  place  with  the  other  prisoners, 
dead  or  alive  ;  and  I  had  almost  as  lieve  die  as  do 
it,  standing  it  out  until  they  environed  me  round 
with  bayonets ;  and  brutish,  prejudiced,  abandoned 
wretches  they  were,  from  whom  I  could  expect 
nothing  but  death  or  wounds ;  however  I  told  them, 
thr.t  they  were  good  honest  fellows  ;  that  I  could 
not  blame  them  ;  that  I  was  only  in  dispute  with 
a  calico  merchant,  who  knew  not  how  to  behave 
towards  a  gentleman  of  the  military  estabUshment* 
This  was  spoken  rather  to  appease  them  for .  my 
own  preservation,  as  well  as  to  treat  Watson  with 
contempt ;  but  still  I  found  they  were  determined 
to  force  me  into  the  wretched  circumstances, 
which  their  prejudiced  and  depraved  minds  h<.d 
prepared  for  me  ;  therefore,  rather  than  die,  I  sub- 
mitted to  their  indignities,  being  drove  with  bayon- 
ets into  the  filthy  dungeon  with  the  other  prisoners, 
where  we  were  denied  fresh  water,  except  a 
small  allowance,  which  was  very  inadequate  to 


■  k 


M 


1 


.i 


[y 


40 


ETHAN  Allen's 


m 


i«l' 


our  wants ;  and  in  consequence  of  the  stench  of 
the  place,  each  of  us  was  soon  followed  with  a 
diarrhoea  and  fever,  which  occasioned  an  intoler- 
able thirst.  When  we  asked  for  water,  we  were, 
most  commonly,  instead  of  obtaining,  it  insulted 
and  derided  ;  and  to  add  to  all  the  horrors  of  the 
place,  it  was  so  dark  that  we  could  not  see  each 
o*her,  and  were  overspread  with  body  lice.  We 
had,  not.<  >-tanding  these  severities,  full  allow- 
ance of  salt  provisions,  and  a  gill  of  rum  per  day  ; 
the  latter  of  which  was  of  the  utmost  service  to 
us,  and,  probably,  w^as  the  means  of  saving  several 
of  our  lives.  About  forty  days  we  existed  in  this 
manner,  when  the  land's  end  of  England  was 
discovered  from  the  mast  head  ;  soon  after  which, 
the  prisoners  were  taken  from  their  gloomy  abode, 
being  permitted  to  see  the  light  of  the  sun,  and 
breathe  fresh  air,  which  to  us  was  very  refreshing. 
The  day  following  we  landed  at  Falmouth. 

A  few  days  before  I  was  taken  prisoner,  I  shift- 
ed my  clothes,  by  which  I  happened  be  taken  in 
a  Canadian  dress,  viz :  a  short  fawn-skin  jacket, 
double-breasted,  an  undervest  and  breeches  of 
sagathy,  worsted  stockings,  a  decent  pair  of  shoes, 
two  plain  shirts,  and  a  red  worsted  cap ;  this  was 
all  the  clothing  I  had,  in  which  I  made  my  appear-" 
ance  in  England.         ;:  ..:  '     j;      ;::;!> 

When  the  prisoners  were  landed,  multitudes  of 


m 


# 


"•SIS'" 


NARRATIVE. 


41 


the  citizens  of  Falmouth,  excited  by  curiosity, 
crowded  to  see  us,  which  was  equally  gratifying  to 
us.  I  saw  numbers  on  the  tops  of  houses,  and  the 
rising  adjacent  grounds  were  covered  with  them,  of 
both  sexes.  The  throng  was  so  great,  that  the 
king's  officers  were  obliged  to  draw  their  swords, 
and  force  a  passage  to  Pendennis  castle,  which  was 
near  a  mile  from  the  town,  where  we  were  closely 
confined,  in  consequence  of  orders  from  General 
Carleton,  who  then  commanded  in  Canada. 

The  rascally  Brook  Watson  then  set  out  for 
London  in  great  haste,  expecting  the  reward  of 
of  his  zeal ;  but  the  ministry  received  him,  as  I 
have  been  since  informed,  rather  coolly ;  for  the' 
minority  in  parliament  took  advantage,  arguing  that 
the  opposition  of  America  to  Great  Britain,  was 
not  a  rebellion :  If  it  is,  say  they,  why  do  you  not 
execute  Col.  Allen  according  to  law?  But  the 
majority  argued  that  I  ought  to  be  executed,  and 
that  the  opposition  was  really  a  rebellion,  but  that 
policy  obliged  them  not  to  do  it,  inasmuch  as  the 
Congress  had  then  most  prisoners  in  their  power ; 
so  that  my  being  sent  to  England,  for  the  purpose 
of  being  executed,  and  necessity  restraining  them, 
was  rather  a  foil  on  their  laws  and  authority,  and 
they  consequenriy  disapproved  of  my  being  sent 
thither.  But  I  had  never  heard  the  least  hint  of 
those  debates,  in  parliament,  or  of  the  working  of 


I  '1 

;    i 
i 


'$. 


;,:i' 


( [ 


h 


f   .: 


p 


I 


i  ^   i 


42 


ETHAN  Allen's 


liW 


1.; 


their  policy,   until  sometime    after  I   left  Eng- 
land. 

Consequently  the  reader  will  readily  conceive  1 
was  anxious  about  my  preservation,  knowing  that 
I  was  in  the  power  of  a  haughty  and  cruel  nation, 
considered  as  such.  Therefore,  the  first  proposi- 
tion which  I  determined  in  my  own  mind  was,  that 
humanity  and  moral  suasion  would  not  be  consult- 
ed  in  the  determining  of  my  fate ;  and  those  that 
daily  came  in  great  numbers  out  of  curiosity,  to 
see  me,  both  gentle  and  simple,  united  in  this, 
that  I  would  be  hanged.  A  gentleman  from  Amer- 
ica, by  the  name  of  Temple,  and  who  was  friendly 
to  me,  just  whispered  me  in  the  ear,  and  told  me 
that  bets  were  laid  in  London,  that  I  would  be 
executed  ;  he  likewise  privately  gave  me  aguinea> 
but  durst  say  but  httle  to  me. 
'.  However^  agreeably  to  my  first  negative  propo- 
sition, that  moral  virtue  would  not  influence  my 
destiny,  1  had  recourse  to  stratagem,  which  I  was 
in  hopes  would  move  in  the  circle  of  their  policy. 
I  requested  of  the  commander  of  the  castle  the 
privilege  of  writing  to  Congress,  who,  after  con- 
sulting with  an  officer  that  lived  in  town,  of  a  su- 
perior rank,  permitted  me  to  write.  1  wro*e,  in 
the  fore  part  of  the  letter,  a  short  narrative  of  my 
ill-treatment;  but  withal  let  them  know  that, 
though  I  was  treated  as  a  criminal  in  England, 


*■./' 


??•* 


NARRATIVE. 


43 


,.!i 
% 


and  continued  in  irons,  together  with  those  taken 
with  me,  yet  it  was  in  consequence  of  the  orders 
which  the  commander  of  the  castle  received  from 
General  Carleion  ;  and  therefore  desired  Congress 
to  desist  from  matters  of  retahation,  until  they 
should  know  the  result  of  the  government  in  Eng- 
land, respecting  their  treatment  towards  me,  and 
the  prisoners  with  me,  and  govern  themselves  ac- 
cordingly,-with  a  particular  request,  that  if  retalia- 
tion should  be  found  necessary,  it  might  be  exer- 
cised not  according  to  the  smallness  of  my  char- 
acter in  America,  but  in  proportion  to  the  import- 
ance of  the  cause  for  which  I  suffered.  This  is, 
according  to  my  present  recollection,  the  substance 
of  the  letter,  inscribed, — "  7  o  the  illustrious 
Continental  Congress,'*^  This  letter  was  w^iitten 
whh  a  view  that  it  should  be  sent  to  the 
ministry  at  London,  rather  than  to  Congress, 
with  a  design  to  intimidate  the  haughty  Eng- 
lish government,  and  screen  my  neck  from  the 
halter. 

The  next  day  the  officer,  from  whom  I  obtained 
license  to  write,  came  to  see  me,  and  frowned  on 
me  on  account  of  the  impudence  of  the  letter,  as 
he  phrased  it,  and  further  added,  'Do  you  think 
that  we  are  fools  in  England,  and  would  send  your 
letter  to  Congress,  with  instructions  to  retahate  on 
our  own  people  ?     1  have  sent  your  letter  to  Lord 


i.i 


'  ;i 


44 


EATHAN  ALLEn'3 


i  I 

i      '"it 


t 


m 


ni 


North.'  This  gave  me  inward  satisfaction,  though 
I  carefully  concealed  it  with  a  pretended  resent- 
ment, for  I  found  I  had  come  Yankee  over  him, 
and  that  the  letter  had  gone  to  the  identical  per- 
son I  designed  it  for.  Nor  do  1  know,  to  this  day, 
but  that  it  had  the  desired  effect,  though  I  have 
not  heard  any  thing  of  the  letter  since. 

My  personal  treatment  by  Lieutenant  Hamilton, 
who  commanded  the  castle,  was  very  generous. 
He  sent  me  every  day  a  fine  breakfast  and  dinner 
from  his  own  table,  and  a  bottle  of  good  wine. 
Another  aged  gentleman,  whose  name  I  cannot 
recollect,  sent  me  a  good  supper.  But  there  was 
no  distinction  in  public  support  between  me  and 
the  privates ;  we  all  lodged  on  a  sort  of  Dutch 
bunks,  in  one  common  appartment,  and  were 
allowed  straw.  The  privates  were  well  supplied 
with  fresh  provisions,  and  with  me,  took  eflfectual 
measures  to  rid  ourselves  of  lice. 

I  could  not  but  feel,  inwardly,  extremely  anx- 
ious for  my  fate.  This,  I  however,  concealed  from 
the  prisoners,  as  well  as  from  the  enemy,  who 
were  perpetually  shaking  the  halter  at  me.  I 
nevertheless  treated  them  with  scorn  and  con- 
tempt ;  and  having  sent  my  letter  to  the  ministry, 
could  conceive  of  nothing  more  in  my  power  but 
to  keep  up  my  spirits,  behave  in  a  daring,  soldier- 
like manner,  that  I  might  exhibit  a  good  sample 


NARRATIVE. 


45 


lough 
scnt- 

him, 
I  per- 
;  day, 

have 

lilton, 
3rous. 
linner 
wine. 
;annot 
e  was 
e  and 
Dutch 
were 
3pUed 
ectual 


of  American  fortitude.*  Such  a  conduct,  I  judged 
would  have  a  more  probable  tendency  to  my 
preservation  than  concession  and  timidity.  This 
therefore,  was  my  deportment ;  and  I  had  lactly 
determined,  in  my  mind,  that  if  a  cruel  death 
must  inevitably  be  my  portion,  I  would  face  it 
undaunted ;  and,  though  I  greatly  rejoice  that  I  re- 
turned to  my  country  and  friends,  and  to  see  the 
power  and  pride  of  Great  Britain  humbled ;  yet  I 
am  confident  I  could  then  have  died  without  the 
least  appearance  of  dismay. 

I  now  clearly  recollect  that  my  mind  was  so 
resvolved,  that  I  would  not  have  trembled  or  shewn 
the  least  fear,  as  I  was  sensible  it  could  not  alter 
my  fate,  nor  do  more  than  reproach  my  memory, 
make  my  last  act  despicable  to  my  enemies,  and 
eclipse  the  other  actions  of  my  Hfe.  For  I  rea- 
soned thus,  that  nothing  was  more  common  than 
for  men  to  die  with  their  friends  around  them, 
weeping  and  lamenting  over  them,  but  not  able 
to  help  them,  which  was  in  reality  not  different  in 
the  consequence  of  it  from  such  a  death  as  I  was 


S      i     ', 


1 ., 


t 

» 

t  ■ 

I 


*  The  British  must  doubtless  have  had  a  high  idea  of  the  personal 
prowess  of  Mr,  Allen  ;  and  however  superior  their  regular  discipline 
I  might  have  appeared  in  their  own  eyes,  yet  they  could  not  but 
respect  his  courage.  To  this  intrepid  spirit,  and  the  esteem  it 
must  have  excited,  the  Colonel  probably  owes  his  complimentary 
meals  and  his  daily  bottle  of  wine, 


ois 


4  ■ 


M 


..> 


f' 


46 


ETHAN  ALLEN  S 


■for 


*^. 


apprehensive  of;  and,  as  death  was  the  natural 
consequence  of  animal  life  to  which  the  laws  of 
nature  subject  mankind,  to  be  timorous  and  un- 
easy as  to  the  event  anu  manner  of  it,  was  incon- 
sistent with  the  character  of  a  philosopher  and 
soldier.  The  cause  I  was  engaged  in,  I  ever 
viewed  worthy  hazarding  my  life  for,  nor  was  I, 
in  the  most  critical  moments  of  trouble,  sorry  that 
I  engaged  in  it ;  and,  as  to  the  world  of  spirits, 
though  I  knew  nothing  of  the  mode  or  manner  of 
it,  1  expected  nevertheless,  when  I  should  arrive 
at  such  a  world,  that  I  should  be  as.  well  treated 
as  other  gentlemen  of  my  merit. 

Among  the  great  numbers  of  people,  who  came 
to  the  castle  to  see  the  prisoners,  some  gentlemen 
told  me  that  they  had  come  fifty  miles  on  purpose 
to  see  me,  and  desired  to  ask  me  a  number  of 
questions,  and  to  make  free  with  me  in  conversa- 
tion. I  gave  for  answer  that  I  chose  freedom  in 
every  sense  of  the  word.  Then  one  of  them  asked 
me  what  my  occupation  in  life  had  been  ?  I  an- 
swered him,  that  in  my  younger  days  I  had  studied 
divinity,  but  was  a  conjuror  by  profession.  He 
replied,  that  I  conjured  wrong  at  the  time  I  was 
taken  ;  and  I  was  obliged  to  own,  that  I  mistook 
a  figure  at  that  time,  but  that  I  had  conjured  them 
out  of  Ticonderoga.  This  was  a  place  of  great 
notoriety  in  England,  so  that  the  joke  seemed  to 
go  in  my  favor. 


It 

of  cl 

casth 

men 

lofte 

on  th 

ingtl 

times 

and  1 

did,  i 

from 

me  \\ 

in  coi 

Howe 

at  oni 

bowl : 

self  n 

le 

ed  th 

dema 

great 

cans  ^ 

not  b( 

acoep 

vince 

bear  t 

that  I 

I  then 


•4- 


NARRATIVE. 


47 


atural 
ivvs  of 
d  un- 
incon- 
ir  and 
I  ever 
was  I, 
y  that 
spirits, 
iner  of 
arrive 
reated 

came 
lemen 
arpose 
ber  of 
versa- 1 
lorn  in 
asked 

I  an- 
tudied 
He 

I  was 
istook 
I  them 

great 
nedto 


It  was  a  common  thing  for  me  to  be  taken  out 
of  close  confinement,  into  a  spacious  green  in  the 
castle,  or  rather  parade,  where  numbers  of  gentle- 
men and  ladies  were  ready  to  see  and  hear  me. 
I  often  entertained  such  audiences  with  harangues 
on  the  impracticability  of  Great  Britain's  conquer- 
ing the  then  colonies  of  America.  At  one  of  these 
times  I  asked  a  gendeman  for  a  bowl  of  punch, 
and  he  ordered  his  servant  to  bring  it,  which  he 
did,  and  offered  it  to  me,  but  [  refused  to  take  it 
from  the  hand  of  his  servant ;  he  then  gave  it  to 
me  with  his  own  hand,  refusing  to  drink  with  me 
inconsequence  of  my  being  a  state  criminal: — 
However,  I  took  the  punch  and  drank  it  all  down 
at  one  draught,  and  handed  the  gentleman  the 
bowl:  this  made  the  spectators  as  well  as  my- 
self merry. 

I  expatiated  on  American  freedom.  This  gain- 
ed the  resentment  of  a  young,  beardless  gende- 
deman  of  the  company,  who  gave  himself  very 
great  airs,  and  replied  that  he  *knew  the  Ameri- 
cans very  well,  and  was  certain  that  they  could 
not  bear  the  smell  of  powder.'  I  replied,  that  I 
accepted  it  as  a  challenge,  and  was  ready  to  con- 
vince him  on  the  spot,  that  an  American  could 
bear  the  smell  of  powder ;  at  which  he  answered 
that  he  should  not  put  himself  on  a  par  with  me. 
I  then  demanded  of  him  to  treat  the  character  of 


% 


1 1' 


h! 

i 
t 

I 

I 


t 


^ 


i'.* 


I'V 


^^  ^  I 


48 


ETHAN  ALLEN'S 


the  Americans  with  due  respect.  He  answered 
that  I  was  an  Irishman ;  but  I  assured  him  that  I 
was  a  lull  blooded  Yankee,  and  in  fine  bantered 
him  so  much,  that  he  left  me  in  possession  of  the 
ground,  and  the  laugh  went  against  him.  Two 
clergymen  came  to  see  me,  and,  inasmuch  as  they 
behaved  with  civility,  I  returned  them  the  same. 
We  discoursed  on  several  parts  of  moral  philoso- 
phy and  Christianity ;  and  they  seemed  to  be  sur- 
prised that  I  should  be  accjuainted  with  such  top- 
ics, or  that  I  should  understand  a  syllogism,  or  reg- 
ular mode  of  argumentation.  I  am  apprehensive 
my  Canadian  dress  contributed  not  a  T  le  to  the 
surprise,  and  excitement  of  curiosity.  .^  see  a 
gentleman  in  England  regularly  dressed  and  well 
behaved  would  be  no  sight  at  all ;  but  such  a  reb- 
el as  they  were  pleased  to  call  me,  it  is  probable^ 
was  never  before  seen  in  England. 

The  prisoners  were  landed  at  Falmouth  a  few 
days  before  Christmas,  and  ordered  on  board  of 
the  Solebay  frigate,  Capt.  Symonds,  on  the  eighth 
day  of  January,  1776,  when  our  hand  irons  were 
taken  off.  This  remove  was  in  consequence,  as  1 
have  been  since  informed,  of  a  writ  of  habeas  cor- 
pus, which  had  been  procured  by  some  gentlemen 
in  England,  in  order  to  obtain  me  my  liberty. 

The  Solebay,  with  sundry  other  men-of-war, 
and  about  forty  transports,  rendezvoused  at  the 


r 


r 


NARRATIVE. 


49 


wered 
that  I 
itered 
of  the 

J  WO 

s  they 

same. 

iiiloso- 

le  sur- 

h  top- 

t)r  reg- 

ensive 

to  the 

see  a 

id  well 

a  reb- 

obable, 

a  few 
)ard  of 

eighth 
s  were 


cove  of  Cork  in  Ireland,  to  take  in  provisions  and 
water.       «  » 

When  we  were  first  brought  on  board,  captain 
Symonds  ordered  all  the  prisoners,  and  most  of  the 
hands  on  board  to  go  on  the  deck,  and  caused  to  be 
read  in  their  henring,  a  certain  code  of  laws  or 
rules,  or  the  regulation  and  ordering  of  their  be- 
havior ;  and  then  in  a  sovereign  manner,  ordered 
the  prisoners,  me  in  particular,  off  the  deck,  or..,' 
never  to  come  on  it  again  ;  for,  said  he,  this  is  a 
place  for  gentlemen  to  walk.  So  I  went  off,  an 
officer  following  me,  who  told  me  that  he  would 
shew  me  the  place  allot  led  for  me,  and  took  me 
down  to  the  cable  tier,  saying  to  me  this  is  your 
place. 

Prior  to  this  I  had  taken  cold,  by  which  I  was 
in  an  ill  state  of  health,  and  did  not  sav  much  to 
the  officer ;  but  stayed  there  that  night,  consulted 
my  policy,  and  I  found  I  was  in  an  evil  case ; 
that  a  captain  of  a  man-of-war  was  more  arbitrary 
than  a  king,  as  he  could  view  his  territory  with  a 
look  of  his  eye,  and  a  movement  of  his  finger 
commanded  obedience.  I  felt  myself  more  des- 
ponding than  I  had  done  at  any  time  before ;  for 
I  concluded  it  to  be  a  government  scheme,  to 
do  that  clandestinely  which  policy  forbid  to  be 
done  under  sanction  of  any  public  justice  and 
law.;  .,■■      ■  '■'•v'^i'.;  '.,.'  ,,  .   -•  ;■• .'  ii    '■ 


w 


( \ 


^" 


M' 


50 


ETHAN  ALLEN'S 


]' 


•!■  •■' 


|:;..f 


I  1 

However,  two  days  after,  I  shaved  and  cleansed 
myself  as  well  as  I  could,  and  went  on  deck.  The 
captain,  spoke  to  me  in  a  great  rage,  and  said  : 
*did  I  not  order  you  not  to  come  on  deck? '  I 
answered  him,  that  at  the  same  time  he  said, 
*  that  it  was  the  place  for  gentlemen  to  walk  ;  that 
I  was  Colonel  Allen,  but  had  not  been  properly 
introduced  to  him.'  He  replied,  G — d  damn  you, 
sir,  be  careful  not  to  walk  the  same  side  of  the  deck 
that  I  do.  This  gave  me  encouragement,  and 
ever  after  that  I  walked  in  the  manner  he  had 
directed,  except  whun  he,  at  certain  times  after- 
wards, had  ordered  me  off  in  a  passion,  and  I  then 
would  directly  afterwards  go  on  again,  telling  him 
to  command  his  slaves ;  that  1  was  a  gentleman 
and  had  a  right  to  walk  the  deck  ;  yet  when  he 
expressly  ordered  me  off,  I  obeyed,  not  out  of 
obedience  to  him,  but  to  set  an  example  to  the 
ship's  crew,  who  ought  to  obey  him. 

To  walk  to  the  windward  side  of  the  deck  is, 
according  to  customs,  the  prerogative  of  the  captain 
of  the  man-of-war,  though  he,  sometimes,  nay 
commonly,  walks  with  his  lieutenants,  when  no 
strangers  are  by.  When  a  captain  from  some 
other  man-of-war,  comes  on  board,  the  captains 
walk  to  the  windward  side,  and  the  other  gentle- 
men to  tbf;  leeward.    '     "   "'     ^  "«^  -       -^ 

It  was  but  a  few  nigh  is  I  lodged  in  the  cable 


in 


insed 

The 

said  : 

kr  I 

said, 
;  that 
►perly 
i  you, 
sdeck 
,  and 
5  had 
after- 
l  then 
g  him 
leman 
len  he 
out  of 
to  the 

ick  is, 
aptain 
),  nay 
en  no 
some 
ptains 
entle- 


J7,   :  - 

vi  ■ 


"TC' 


n 


& 


ATARRATIVE. 


51 


cable 


tier,  before  I  gained  an  acquaintance  with  the  mas- 
ter of  arms,  his  name  was  Gillegan,  an  Irishman, 
who  was  a  generous  and  well  disposed  man,  and 
in  a  friendly  manner  made  me  an  offer  oi  living 
with  him  in  a  htde  birth,  which  was  allotted  him 
between  decks,  and  enclosed  with  canvass;  his 
preferment  on  board  was  about  equal  to  that  of 
a  Serjeant  in  a  regiment.  I  was  comparatively 
happy  in  the  acceptance  of  his  clemency,  and 
liv^ecl  with  him  in  friendship  till  the  frigate  anchored 
in  the  harbor  of  Cape  Fear,  North  Carolina,  in 
America.         ;;       -  •  ^  .        „        ;  , 

Nothing  of  material  consequence  happened  till 
the  fleet  rendezvoused  at  the  cove  of  Cork,  except 
a  violent  storm  which  brought  old  hardy  sailors  to 
their  prayers.  It  w'as  soon  rumored  in  Cork  that 
I  was  on  board  the  Solebay,  with  a  number  of 
prisoners  from  America ;  upon  which  Messrs. 
Clark  &  Hays,  merchants  in  company,  and  a 
number  of  other  benevolently  disposed  gentlemen, 
contributed  largely  to  the  relief  and  support  of  the 
prisoners,  who  were  thirty  four  in  number,  and 
in  very  needy  circumstances.  A  suit  of  clotties 
from  head  to  foot,  including  an  overcoat  or  sur- 
tout,  and  two  shirts  were  bestowed  upon  each  of 
them.  My  suit  I  received  in  superfine  broadcloths, 
sufficient  for  two  jackets  and  two  pair  of  breeches, 
overplus  of  a  suit  throughout,  eight  fine  Holland 


'l  I 


M 


li'  > 


m 


52 


ETHAN  ALLEN^S 


shirts  and  stocks  ready  made,  with  a  number  of 
pairs  of  silk  and  worsted  hose,  two  pair  of  shoes, 
two  beaver  hats,  one  of  which  was  sent  me  richly 
laced  with  gold,  by  James  Bonwell.  The  Irish 
gendemen  furthermore  made  a  large  gratuity  of 
wines  of  the  best  sort,  spirits,  gin,  loaf  and  brown 
sugar,  tea  and  chocolate,  with  a  large  round  of 
pickled  beef,  and  a  number  of  fat  turkies,  with 
many  other  articles,  for  my  sea  stores,  too  tedious 
to  mention  here.  To  the  privates  they  bestowed 
on  each  man  two  pounds  of  tea,  and  six  pounds 
of  brown  sugar.  These  articles  were  received 
on  board  at  a  time  when  the  captain  and  first 
lieutenant  were  gone  on  shore,  by  the  permission 
of  the  second  lieutenant,  a  handsome  young  gen- 
tleman, who  was  then  under  twenty  years  of 
age  ;  his  name  was  Douglass,  son  of  admiral  Doug- 
lass, as  I  was  informed.  ^  -  s 
'As  this  munificence  was  so  unexpected  and 
plentiful,  I  may  add  needful,  it  impressed  on  my 
mind  the  highest  sense  of  gratitude  towards  my 
benefactors  ;  for  I  was  not  only  supplied  with  the 
necessaries  and  conveniences  of  hfe,  but  with  the 
grandeurs  and  superfluities  of  it.  Mr.  Hays,  one 
of  the  donators  before-mentioned,  came  on  board, 
^nd  behaved  in  the  most  obliging  manner,  telling 
me  that  he  hoped  my  troubles  were  past ;  for  that 
the  gentlemen  of  Cork  determined  to  make  my 


■I 


sea 
bay 
tos 
Anc 

fifty 

the 
the 
but 
•onl} 
gen. 
gem 
exc( 
T 
natii 
env^ 

■ 

isg( 

not 

Irek 

befo 

v/as 

whi( 

Dou 

able 

till  t 

seqi 

and 

and 

Our 


ulfeL, 


•7     1 


NARRATIVE. 


53 


sea  stores  equal  to  those  oF  the  captain  of  the  Sole- 
bay;  he  made  an  offer  of  live  stock  and  wherewith 
to  support  them  ;  but  I  knew  this  would  be  denied. 
And  to  crown  all,  did  send  me  by  another  person, 
fifty  guineas,  but  I  could  not  reconcile  receiving 
the  whole  to  my  own  feelings,  as  it  might  have 
the  appearance  of  avarice ;  and  therefore  received 
but  seven  guineas  oaly,  and  am  confident,  not 
only  from  the  exercise  of  the  present  well  timed 
generosity,  but  from  a  large  acquaintance  with 
gentlemen  of  this  nation,  that  as  a  people  they 
excel  in  liberality  and  bravery. 

Two  days  after  the  receipt  of  the  aforesaid  do- 
nations, captain  Symonds  came  on  board,  full  of 
envy  towards  the  prisoners,  and  swore'  by  all  that 
is  good,  that  the  damned  American  rebels  should 
not  be  feasted  at  this  rate,  y  the  damned  rebels  of 
Ireland  ;  he  therefore  took  away  all  my  liquors 
before-mentioned,  except  some  of  the  wint  which 
V7as  secreted,  and  a  two  gallon  jug  of  old  sp  rits 
which  was  reserved  for  me  per  favor  of  lieutenant 
Douglass.  The  taking  of  my  liquors  was  abomin- 
able in  his  sight ;  he  therefore  spoke  inmv  '  ehalf, 
till  the  captain  was  angry  with  him  ;  ana  m  con- 
sequence, proceeded  and  took  av.ray  all  the  tea 
and  sugar,  which  had  been  given  to  the  prisoners, 
and  confiscated  it  to  the  use  of  the  ship's  crew. 
Our  clothing  was  not  taken  away,  but  the  privates 


1 1 


i^ 


t    M 


54 


EATHAN    ALLEN  S 


hi 


m 


were  forced  to  do  duty  on  board.  Soon  after  this 
there  came  a  boat  to  the  side  of  the  ship,  and 
captain  Symonds  asked  a  gentleman  in  it,  in  my 
hearing,  what  his  business  was?  who  answered 
that  he  was  sent  to  deliver  some  sea  stores  to  Co). 
Allen,  which  if  I  remember  right,  he  said  were  sent 
from  Dublin  ;  but  the  captaii  damned  him  heartily, 
ordering  him  away  from  the  ship,  and  would  not 
suffer  him  to  deliver  the  stores.  I  was  further- 
more informed  that  the  gentlemen  in  Cork, 
requested  of  captain  Symonds,  that  I  might  be 
allowed  to  come  into  the  city,  and  that  they  would 
be  responsible  I  should  return  to  the  frigate  at  a 
given  time,  which  was  denied  them. 

We  sailed  from  England  the  8th  day  of  January, 
and  from  the  cove  of  Cork  the  12th  day  of  Feb'y. 
Just  before  we  sailed,  the  prisoners  with  me  were 
divided,  and  put  on  board  thrc^j  different  ships  of 
war.  This  gave  me  some  uneasiness,  for  they 
were  to  a  man  zealous  in  the  cause  of  liberty,  and 
behaved  with  a  becoming  fortitude  in  the  various 
scenes  of  their  captivity ;  but  those,  who  were 
distributed  on  board  other  ships  of  war  were  much 
better  used  than  those  who  tarried  with  me, 
as  appeared  afterwards-  When  the  fleet,  con- 
sisting of  about  forty-five  sai;,  including  five  men 
of  war,  sailed  from  the  cove  with  a  fresh  breeze, 
the  appearance  was  beautiful,  abstracted  from  the 


till 


.ii 


'"scMfmii.ii 


NARRATIVE. 


55 


> 


ir  this 
•,  and 
in  my 
ivered 
dCoI 
e  sent 
artily, 
Id  not 
rther- 
Cork, 
rhihe 
would 
;e  at  a 

riuary, 
Feb'v. 
)  were 
lips  of 

they 
;y,and 
arious 

were 
smuch 
h  me, 
,  con- 
e  men 
Teeze, 
Dm  the 


;l 


unjust  and  bloody  designs  they  had  in  view.  We 
had  not  sailed  many  days,  before  a  mighty  storm 
arose,  which  lasted  near  twenty-four  hours  with- 
out intermission.  The  wind  blew  with  relendess 
fury,  and  no  man  could  remain  on  deck,  except 
he  was  lashed  fast,  for  the  wavfes  rolled  over  the 
deck  by  turns,  with  a  forcible  rapidity  and  every 
soul  on  board  was  anxious  for  the  preservation  of 
the  ship,  alias,  their  Uves.  In  this  storm  the  Thun- 
der-bomb man  of  war  sprang  a  leak,  and  was 
afterwards  floated  to  some  part  to  the  coast  of 
England,  and  the  crew  saved.  We  were  then 
said  to  be  in  the  Ba^  of  Biscay.  After  the  storm 
abated,  I  could  plainly  discern  the  prisoners  were 
better  used  for  some  considerable  time,     i   ' 

Nothing  of  consequence  happened  after  this, 
till  we  had  sailed  to  the  island  of  Madeira,  except 
a  certain  favor  I  had  received  of  captain  Symonds, 
in  consequence  of  an  application  I  made  to  him 
for  the  privilege  of  his  tailor  to  make  me  a  suit 
of  clothes  of  the  cloth  bestowed  on  me  in  Ireland, 
which  he  generously  granted,  I  could  then  walk 
the  deck  with  a  seeming  better  grace.  When  we 
had  reached  Madeira,  and  anchored,  sundry  gen- 
tlemen with  the  captain  went  on  shore,  who  I 
conclude,  gc  ve  the  rumor  that  I  was  in  the  frigate ; 
upon  which  I  soon  after  found  that  Irish  generosity 
was  again  excited ;  for  a  gentleman  of  that  nation 


rii 


i:  « 


i:     t 


66 


ETHAN  ALLEN'3 


I  II 
■'ti 


sent  his  clerk  on  board,  to  know  of  me  if  I  would 
accept  a  sea  store  from  him,  particularly  wine. 
This  matter  I  made  known  to  the  generous  lieu- 
tenant Douglass,  who  readily  granted  me  the 
favor,  provided  the  articles  could  be  brought  on 
board,  during  the  time  of  his  command ;  adding 
that  it  would  be  a  pleasure  to  him  to  serve  me, 
notwithstanding  the  opposition  he  met  with  before. 
So  I  directed  the  gentleman's  clerk  to  inform  him 
that  I  was  greatly  in  need  of  so  signal  a  charity, 
and  desired  the  young  gentleman  to  make  the 
the  utmost  despatch,  which  he  did ;  but  in  the 
meantime,  captain  Symonds  and  his  oflScers  came 
on  board,  and  immediately  made  ready  for  sailing ; 
the  wind  at  the  same  time  being  fair,  set  sail  when 
the  young  gendeman  was  in  fair  sight  with  the 
aforesaid  store.  "^  ''-  ^'  "^^'  ""'  '^^^*''^^  oi.u  :m.  ro. 
.The  reader  will  doubtless  recollect  the  seven 
guineas  I  received  at  the  cove  of  Cork.  These 
enabled  me  to  purchase  of  the  purser  what  I 
wanted,  had  not  the  Captain  strictly  forbidden  it, 
though  I  made  sundry  applicalions  to  him  for  that 
purpose;  but  his  answer  to  me,  when  I  was  sick, 
was,  that  it  was  no  matter  how  soon  I  was  dead, 
and  that  he  was  no  ways  anxious  to  preserve  the 
lives  of  rebels,  but  wished  them  all  dead  ;  and 
indeed  that  was  the  language  of  most  of  the  ship's 
crew.     I  expostulated  not  only  with  the  captain, 


■'S 


\ 


NARRATIVE* 


57 


Wine. 

lieu-  ^ 
e  the 
jht  on 
idding 
^e  me, 
)efore. 
m  him 
barity, 
ke  the 
in  the 
I  came 
ailing ; 

when 
ith  the 

sevi^n 
These 
vhat  I 
den  it, 
Dr  that 
s  sick, 

dead, 

ve  the 

and 

ship's 
iptain. 


but  with  other  gentlemen  on  board,  on  the  unrea- 
sonableness of  such  usage;  inferring  that,  inas- 
much as  the  government  in  England  did  not  pro- 
ceed against  me  as  a  capital  offender,  they  should 
not ;  for  that  they  were  by  no  means  empowered 
by  any  authority,  either  civil  or  military,  to  do  so ; 
for  the  English  government  had  acquitted  me  by 
sending  me  back  a  prisoner  of  war  to  America, 
and  that  they  should  treat  me  as  such.  I  further 
drew  an  inference  of  impolicy  on  them,  provided 
they  should  by  hard  usage,  destroy  my  life ;  inas- 
much as  I  might,  if  living,  redeem  one  of  their 
officers ;  but  the  captain  replied,  that  he  needed 
no  directions  of  mine  how  to  treat  a  rebel ;  that 
the  British  would  conquer  the  American  rebels, 
hang  the  Congress,  and  such  as  promoted  the 
rebellion,  me  in  particular,  and  retake  their  own 
prisoners ;  so  that  my  life  was  of  no  consequence 
in  the  scale  of  their  policy.  I  gave  him  for  an- 
swer that  if  they  stayed  till  they  conquered  Ame- 
rica, before  they  hanged  me,  1  should  die  of  old 
age,  and  desired  that  till  such  an  event  took  place, 
he  would  at  least  allow  me  to  purchase  of  the 
purser,  for  my  own  money,  such  articles  as  I 
greatly  needed  ;  but  he  would  not  permit  it,  and 
when  1  reminded  him  of  the  generous  and  civil 
usage  that  their  prisoners  in  captivity  in  America 
let  with,  he  said  that  it  was  not  owing  to  their 


m 


68 


EATHAN  Allen's 


H  t 


goodness,  but  to  their  timidity ;  for,  said  he,  they 
expect  to  be  conquered,  and  therefore  dare  not 
misuse  our  prisoners ;  and  in  fact  this  was  the 
h  nguage  of  the  British  officers,  till  Burgoyne  was 
taken  ;  *  happy  event !  and  not  only  of  the  officers 
but  the  whole  British  army.  I  appeal  to  all  my 
brother  prisoners,  who  have  been  with  the  British 
in  the  southern  department,  for  a  confirmation  of 
what  I  have  advanced  on  this  subject.  The 
surgeon  of  the  Solebay,  whose  name  was  North, 
was  a  very  humane,  obliging  man,  and  took  the 
best  care  of  the  prisoners  who  were  sick. 

The  third  day  of  May  we  cast  anchor   in  the 
harbor  of  Cape  Fear,  in  North  Carolina,  as  did 

*  It  was  the  plan  of  the  British  generals,  to  push  a  body  of 
troops  from  New- York,  to  join  General  Burgoyne  at  Albany,  and 
by  establishing  a  line  of  British  posts  on  the  Hudson,  to  intercept 
the  intercourse  between  the  New  England  and  Southern  States. 
While  General  Burgoyne  was  attempting  to  advance  towards  Al- 
bany, General  Clinton  with  a  force  of  three  thousand  men  took 
possion  of  Fort  Montgomery,  after  severe  loss.  General  Vaughan, 
with  a  body  of  troops,  on  board  of  armed  ships,  sailed  up  the  Hud- 
son, as  far  as  Livingston's  manor,  where  he  landed  a  party,  burnt 
a  large  house  belonging  to  one  of  the  family;  then  sent  a  party  to 
the  opposite  shore  and  laid  in  ashes  the  town  of  Kingston.  Bui 
General  Burgoyne,  despairing  ojf  the  junction  between  his  army 
and  the  division  from  New-York,  surrounded  by  a  superior  army, 
and  unable  to  retreat,  consented  to  capitulate,  and  on  the  17th 
of  October,  surrendered  to  the  American  General.  The  detach- 
ment under  General  Vaughan  returned  to  New- York  and  the  plaa 
of  the  British  commanders  was  totally  frustrated.  .  *. 


NAURATIVE. 


59 


;,  they 
-e  not 
[iS  the 
[16  was 
)fficers 
all  my  [j 
British 
tion  of 
The 
North, 
)ok  the 

in  the 
as  did 

.'■>■  ii?-  ''. 

I  body  of 
)any,  and 

intercept 
■n  States, 
ivards  Al- 
men  took 
Vaughan, 
the  Hud- 
■ty,  burnt 
I  party  to 
ton.  Bui 
his  army 
rior  army, 

the  17th 
18  detach- 
l  the  plan 


Sir  Peter  Parker's  ship,  of  50  guns,  a  little  back  of 
the  bar  ;  for  there  was  not  depth  of  water  for  him 
to  come  into  the  harbor.  These  two  men  of  war, 
and  fourteen  sail  of  transports  and  others,  came 
after,  so  that  most  of  the  fleet  rendezvoused  at 
Cape  Fear,  for  three  weeks.  The  soldiers  on 
board  the  transports  were  sickly,  in  consequence 
of  so  long  a  passage ;  add  to  this  the  small-pox 
carried  off'  many  of  them.  They  landed  on  the 
main,  and  formed  a  camp  ;  but  the  riflemen  an- 
noyed them,  and  caused  them  to  move  to  an 
island  in  the  harbor ;  but  such  cursing  of  riflemen 
I  never  heard. 

A  detachment  of  regulars  was  sent  up  Bruns- 
wick river ;  as  they  landed,  they  were  fired  on  by 
those  marksmen,  and  they  came  back  next  day 
damning  the  rebels  for  their  unmanly  way  of  fight- 
ing, and  swearing  that  they  would  give  no  quarter, 
for  they  took  sight  at  them,  and  were  behind  tim- 
ber skulking  about.  One  of  the  detachments  said 
they  lost  one  man ;  but  a  negro  man  who  was 
with  them,  and  heard  what  was  said,  soon  after 
told  me  that  he  helped  to  bury  thirty-one  of  them  ; 
this  did  me  some  good  to  find  my  'ountrymen 
giving  them  battle  ;  for  I  never  heard  such  swag- 
gering as  among  Gen.  Clinton's  httle  army  who 
commanded  at  that  time ;  and  I  am  apt  to  think 
there  were  four  thousand  men,  though  not  two 


■'M. 


It 


1  ^ 


60 


ETHAN  ALLEN  S 


ah^2 


Ji! 


thirds  of  them  fit  for  duty.     I  heard  numbers  of*  ji^e 
them  say,  that  the  trees  in  America  should  hang  |  ^ot 
well  with  fruit  that  campaign  for  they  would  give 
no  quarter.     This  was  in  the  mouths  of  most  who 
I  heard  speak  on  the  subject,  officer  as  well  as  |  ble 
soldier.     1  wished  at  that  time  my  countrymen 
knew,  as  well  as  I  did,  what  a  murdering  and  cruel 
enemy  they  had  to  deal  with  ;  but  experience  has  H 
since  taught  this  country,  what  they  are  to  ex- 
pect  at  the  hands  of  Britons  when  in  their  power. 
The  prisoners,  who   had  been  sent  on  board 
different  men  of  war  at  the  cove  of  Cork,  were 
collected  together,  and  the  whole  of  them  put  on  I, 
board  the  Mercury  frigate,  capt.  James  Montague, 
except  one   of  the  Canadians,   who  died  on  the 
passage  from  Ireland,  and  Peter  Noble,  who  made 
his  escape  from  the  Sphynx  man-of-war  in  this 
harbour,  and,  by  extraordinary  swimming,  got  safe 
home  to  New-England,  and  gave  intelligence  of 
the  usage  of  his  brother  prisoners.     The  Mercury 
set  sail  from  this  port  for  Halifax,  about  the  20th 
of  Mav,  and  Sir  Peter  Parker  was  about  to  sail 
with  the  land  forces,  under  the  command  of  Gen. 
Clinton,  for  the  reduction  of  Charleston,  the  capitol 
of  South-Carolina,  and  when  I  heard  of  his  defeat 
^in  Halifax,  it  gave  me  inexpressible  satisfaction. 
I  now  found  myself  under  a  worse  captain  than 
Symonds ;  for  Montague  was  loaded  with  preju- 


h., 


'''<n 


NARRATIVE. 


61 


ibers  of 
Id  hang 
lid  give 
)st  who 
well  as  ! 
trymen 
id  cruel 
nee  has 
lo  ex- 
power, 
board 
:,  were 
put  on 
intague, 
on  the 

0  made  ; 
in  this 

E^ot  safe  j  I 
ence  of|| 
lercury 
de  20th 
to  sail  [| 
.^f  Gen. 

1  capitol 
5  defeat 
iction. 
in  than 
i  preju- 


dices against  every  body,  and  every  thing  that  was 
not  stamped  with  royalty;  and  being  by  nature 
under witted,  his  wrath  was  heavier  than  the 
others,  or  at  least  his  mind  was  in  no  instance  lia- 
ble tc  be  diverted  by  good  sense,  humour  or  bra- 
very, of  which  Symonds  was  by  turns  susceptible, 
A  Capt.  Francis  Proctor  was  added  to  our  num- 
ber of  prisoners  when  we  were  first  put  on  board 
this  ship.  This  gentleman  had  formerly  belonged 
to  the  English  service.  The  Captain,  and  in  fine, 
all  the  gentlemen  of  the  ship,  were  very  much  in- 
sensed  against  him,  and  put  him  in  irons  with- 
out the  least  provocation,  and  he  was  continued 
in  this  miserable  situation  about  three  months.  In 
this  passage  the  prisoners  were  mfected  with  the 
scurvy,  some  more  and  some  less,  but  most  of 
them  severely.  The  ship's  crew  was  to  a  great 
degree  troubled  with  it,  and  I  concluded  that  it 
was  catching.  Several  of  the  crew  died  with  it 
on  their  passage.  I  was  weak  and  feeble  in  con- 
sequence of  so  long  and  cruel  a  captivity,  yet  had 
but  little  of  the  scurvy. 

The  purser  was  again  expressly  forbid  by  the 
captain  to  let  me  have  any  thing  out  of  his  store ; 
upon  which  I  went  upon  deck,  and  in  the  hand- 
somest manner  requested  the  favor  of  purchasing 
a  few  necessaries  of  the  purser,  which  was  deni- 
ed me;  he   further  told   me,  that  I  should  be 


1  i! 


H 


V 

pi' 

1) 

It 


62 


ETHAN  ALLEN'S 


hanged  as  soon  as  I  arrived  at  Halifax.  I  tried 
to  reason  the  matter  with  him,  but  found  him 
proof  against  reason ;  I  also  held  up  his  honor  to 
view,  and  his  behavior  to  me  and  the  prisoners  in 
general,  as  being  derogatory  to  it,  but  found  his 
honor  impenetrable.  I  then  endeavored  to  touch 
his  humanity,  but  found  he  had  none ;  for  his  pre- 
possession of  bigotry  to  his  own  party,  had  con- 
firmed him  in  an  opinion,  that  no  humanity  was 
due  to  unroyalists,  but  seemed  to  think  that  hea- 
ven and  earth  were  made  merely  to  gratify  the 
King  and  his  creatures ;  be  uttered  considerable 
unintelligible  and  grovelling  ideas,  a  little  tinctur- 
ed with  monarchy,  but  stood  well  to  his  text  oi' 
hanging  me.  He  afterwards  forbade  his  surgeon 
to  administer  any  help  to  the  sick  prisoners.  I 
was  every  night  shut  down  in  the  cable  tier,  with 
the  rest  of  the  prisoners,  and  we  all  lived  misera- 
bly while  under  his  power.  But  I  received  some 
generosity  from  several  of  the  midshipmen,  who 
in  degree  alleviated  my  misery ;  one  of  their  names 
was  Putrass,  the  names  of  the  others  I  do  not  re- 
collect; but  they  were  obligedto  be  private  in  the 
bestowment  of  their  favor,  which  was  sometimes 
good  wine  bitters,  and  at  others  a  generous  drink 
of  grog.  '   - 

Sometime  in  the  first  week  of  June,  we  came 
to  anchor  at  the  Hook  off  New  York,  where  we 


'■>. 


;■* 


-K 


y% 


NAERATIVE. 


63 


remained  but  three  days  ;  in  which  time  governor 
i  Tryon,  Mr.  Kemp,  the  old  attorney  general  of 
1  New -York,  and  several  other  perfidious  and  over 
'■  grown  tories  and  land-jobbers,  came  on  board. 
Tryon  viewed  me  wii'i  a  stern  countenance,  as  1 
was  walking  on  the  leeward  side  the  deck  with 
the  midshipmen  ;  and  he  and  his  companions  were 
walking  with  the  captain  and  lieutenant,  on  the 
windward  side  of  the  same,  but  never  spoke  to 
me,  though  it  is  altogether  probable  that  he  thought 
of  the  old  quarrel  between  him,  the  old  govern- 
ment of  New  York,  and  the  Green-Mouniain  Boys. 
Then  they  went  with  the  captain  into  the  cabin, 
and  the  same  afternoon  returned  on  board  a  ves- 
sel, v'here  at  that  time  they  took  sanctuary  from 
the  resentment  of  their  injured  country.  What 
passed  between  the  officers  of  the  ship  and  these  vi- 
siters 1  know  not ;  but  this  I  know  that  my  treatment 
from  tjie  officers  was  more  severe  afterwards. 

We  arrived  at  Halifax  not  far  from  the  middle 
of  June,  where  the  ship's  crew,  which  was  infested 
with  the  scurvy,  were  taken  on  shore,  and  shallow 
trenches  dug,  into  which  they  were  put,  and  partly 
covered  with  earth.  Indeed  every  proper  mea- 
sure was  taken  for  their  relief.  The  prisoners  were 
not  permitted  any  sort  of  medicine,  but  were  put 
on  board  a  sloop  which  lay  in  the  harbor,  near  the 
town  of  Halifax,  surrounded  with  several  men  of 


I 


64 


TTHAN  ALLKn's 


^1: 


!:>      5 


I  I. 


war  and  their  tenders,  and  a  guard  constantly  set 
over  them,  night  and  day.  The  sloop  we  had  whol- 
ly to  ourselves  except  the  guard  who  occupied  the 
forecastle ;  here  we  were  cruelly  pinched  with 
hunger  ;  it  seemed  to  me  that  we  had  not  more 
than  one  third  of  the  common  allowance.  We 
were  ail  seized  with  violent  hunger  and  faitness  ; 
we  divided  our  scanty  allowance  as  exact  as  possi- 
ble. I  shared  the  same  fate  with  the  rest,  and  though 
they  offered  me  more  than  an  even  share,  I  refu- 
sed to  accepi  it,  as  it  was  a  time  of  substantial 
distress,  which  in  my  opinion  I  ought  to  partake 
equally  with  the  rest,  and  set  an  example  of  virtue 
and  fortitude  to  our  litde  commonwealth. 

1  sent  letter  after  letter  to  captain  Montague, 
who  still  had  the  care  of  us,  and  also  to  his  lieu- 
tenant, whose  name  I  cannot  call  to  mind,  but 
could  obtain  no  answer,  much  less  a  redress  of 
grievances ;  and  to  add  to  the  calamity,  ijear  a 
dozen  of  the  prisoners  were  dangerously  ill  of  the 
scurvy.  I  wrote  private  letters  to  the  doctors, 
to  procure,  if  possible,  some  remedy  for  the  sick, 
but  in  vain.  The  chief  physician  came  by  in  a 
boat,  so  close  that  tie  oars  touched  the  sloop  that 
we  were  in,  and  1  uttered  my  complaint  in  the 
genteelest  manner  to  him,  but  he  never  so  much 
as  turned  his  head,  or  made  me  any  answer,  though 
I  continued  speaking  till  he  got  out  of  hearing. 


a/j 


I  pr 

H  whi 

I  vesr 

I  site 

i  to  t 

I  ofh 
m  my 


'■■▼-  .— 'y 


"l.      WTTT 


NARRATIVE. 


65 


ly  set 
vvhol- 
id  the 
I  with 
more 
We 
Lness  ; 
possi- 
hoiigh 
[  refu- 
itantial 
lartake 
'  virtue 

itague, 
s  heu- 
d,  but 

ess  of 
15 ear  a 

of  the 
octors, 
le  sick, 
)y  in  a 
op  that 

in  the 
much 
though 
earing. 


Ouf  cause  then  became  deplorable.  Still  I  kept 
writing  to  the  captain,  till  he  ordered  the  guards, 
as  they  told  me,  not  to  bring  any  more  letters 
from  me  to  him.  In  the  meantime  an  event  hap- 
pened wordi  relating..  One  of  the  men  almost 
dead  with  the  scurvy,  lay  by  the  side  of  the  sloop, 
and  a  canoe  of  Indians  coming  by,  he  purchased 
two  quarts  of  strawberries,  and  ate  them  at  once, 
and  it  almost  cured  him  The  money  he  gave  for 
them,  was  all  the  money  he  had  in  ihe  \vorld. 
After  that  we  tried  every  way  to  procure  more  of 
that  fruit,  reasoning  from  analogy  that  they  might 
have  the  same  effect  on  others  infested  with  the 
same  disease,  but  could  obtain  none. 

Meanwhile  the  doctor's  mate  of  the  Mercury 
came  privately  on  board  the  prison  sloop  and* 
presented  me  with  a  large  vial  of  smart  drops, 
which  proved  to  be  good  for  the  scurvy,  though 
vegetables  and  some  other  ingredients  were  requi- 
site for  a  cure ;  but  the  drops  gave  at  least  a  check 
to  the  disease.  This  was  a  well-timed  exertion 
of  humanity,  but  the  doctor's  name  has  slipped 
my  mind,  and  in  my  opinion,  it  was  the  means  of 
saving  the  hves  of  several  men. 

The  guard,  which  was  set  over  us,  was  by  this 
time  touched  with  the  feelings  of  compassion  ; 
and  I  finally  trusted  one  of  them  with  a  letter  of 
complaint  to  governor  Arbuthnot,  of  Halifax,  which 


I ». 


;* 


'  T3W" 


-TT  iji    ■  1 1  pw  f^    f,  |"J|  H  inni  inji  v*i  ^■■.■T^"l   !■• 


■>»    I. 


66 


ETHAN  ALLEN'S 


i"'  i 


he  found  means  to  communicate,  and  which  had 
the  desired  effect ;  for  the  governor  sent  an  officer 
and  surgeon  on  board  the  prison  sloop,  to  know 
the  truth  of  the  complaint.  The  officer's  name 
was  Russell,  who  held  the  rank  of  lieutenant,  and 
treated  me  in  a  friendly  and  polite  manner,  and 
was  really  angry  at  the  cruel  and  unmanly  usage  the 
prisoners  met  with ;  and  with  the  surgeon  made 
a  true  report  of  matters  to  governor  Arbuthnot, 
who,  either  by  his  order  or  influence,  took  us 
next  day  from  the  prison  sloop  to  Halifax  jail, 
where  1  first  became  acquainted  with  the  now  Hon. 
James  Lovel,  one  of  the  mem.bers  of  Congress 
for  the  state  of  Massachusetts.  The  sick  were 
taken  to  the  hospital,  and  the  Canadians,  who 
were  effective,  were  employed  in  the  King's 
works ;  and  when  their  countrymen  were  recovered 
from  the  scurvy  and  joined  them,  they  all  deserted 
the  king's  employ,  and  were  not  heard  of  at  Hali- 
fax, as  long  as  the  remainder  of  the  prisoners 
continued  there,  which  was  till  near  the  middle  of 
October.  We  were  on  board  the  prison  sloop  about 
six  weeks,  and  w^ere  landed  at  Halifax  near  the 
middle  of  August.  Several  of  our  English-Am.er- 
ican  prisoners,  who  were  cured  of  the  scurvy  at 
the  hospital,  made  their  escape  from  thence, 
and  after  a  long  time  reached  their  old  habita- 
tions. 


NARRATIVE. 


67 


bhad 
)fficer 
know 
name 
t,  and 
r,  and 
ge  the 
made 
ithnot, 
ok   us 
X  jail, 
I  Hon. 
ngress 
were 
who 
Kuig's 
3vered 
iserted 
t  HaU- 
soners 
ddle  of 
D  about 
ear  the 
Amer- 
arvy  at 
thence, 
habita- 


r 


I 


I  had  now  but  thirteen  with  me,  of  those  who 
were  taken  in  Canada,  and  remained  in  jail  with 
me  in  Halifax,  who,  in  addition  to  those  that  were 
imprisoned  before,  made  our  number  about  thirty- 
four,  who  were  all  locked  up  in  one  common  large 
room,  without  regard  to  rank,  education  or  any 
other  accomplishment,  where  we  continued  from 
the  setting  to  the  rising  sun ;  and,  as  sundry  of 
them  were  infected  with  the  jail  and  other  dis- 
tempers, the  furniture  of  this  spacious  room  con- 
sisted principally  of  excrement  tubs.  We  petitioned 
for  a  removal  of  the  sick  into  the  hospitals,  but 
were  denied.  We  i  emonstrated  against  the  ungen- 
erous usage  of  being  confined  with  the  privates,  as 
being  contrary  to  the  laws  and  customs  of  nations, 
and  particularly  ungrateful  in  them  in  consequence 
of  the  gentleman-like  usage  which  the  British  im- 
prisoned officers  met  with  in  America ;  and  thus 
we  wearied  ourselves,  petitioning  and  remonstra- 
ting, but  to  no  purpose  at  all ;  for  general  Massey, 
who  commanded  at  HaUfax,  was  as  inflexible  as 
the  devil  himself,  a  fine  preparative  this  for  Mr. 
Level,  member  of  the  Continental  Congress. 

Lieutenant  Russell,  whom  1  have  mentioned 
before,  came  to  visit  me  in  prison,  and  assured 
me  that  he  had  done  his  utmost  to  procure  my 
parole  for  enlargement ;  at  which  a  British  captain, 
U'ho  was  then  town-major,  expressed  compassion 


1 1 


,^lSi._ 


68 


ETHAN  Allen's! 


nil! 


fv' ' )    ■  ' 


h    I: 


for  the  gentlemen  confined  in  the  filthy  place,  and 
assured  me  that  he  had  used  his  influence  to  pro- 
cure their  enlargement ;  his  name  was  near  like 
Ramsey.  Among  the  prisoners  there  were  five 
in  number,  who  had  a  legal  claim  to  a  parole,  viz. 
James  Level,  Esq.,  captain  Francis  Proctor,  a  Mr. 
Rowland,  master  of  a  continental  armed  vessel,  a 
Mr.  Taylor,  his  mate,  and  myself. 

As  to  the  article  of  provision,  we  were  well  ser- 
ved, much  better  than  in  any  part  ol  my  captivi- 
ty; and  since  it  was  Mr.  LovePs  misfortunes  and 
mine  to  be  prisoners,  and  in  so  wretched  circum- 
stances, I  was  happy  that  we  were  together  as  a 
mutual  support  to  each  other,  and  to  the  unfortu- 
nate prisoners  with  us.  Our  first  attention  was 
the  preservation  of  ourselves  and  injured  little  re- 
public ;  the  rest  of  our  time  we  devoted  inter- 
changeably to  politics  and  philosophy,  as  patience 
was  a  needful  exercise  in  so  evil  a  situation,  but 
contentment  mean  and  impracicable. 

I  had  not  been  in  this  jail  many  days,  before 
a  worthy  and  charitable  woman,  by  the  name  of 
Mrs.  Blacden,  supplied  me  with  a  good  dinner  of 
fresh  meats  every  day,  with  garden  fruit,  and 
sometimes  with  a  bottle  of  wine:  notwithstanding 
which  I  had  not  been  more  than  three  weeks  in 
this  place  before  I  lost  all  appetite  to  the  most  de- 
licious food,  by   the  jail  distemper,  as   also  did 


NARRATIVE. 


69 


,  and 
)  pro- 
r  like 
3  five 
.  viz. 
a  Mr. 
isel,  a 

11  ser- 
aptivi- 
5s  and 
[rcum- 
3r  as  a 
nfot-tu- 
)n  was 
tie  re- 
inter- 
citience 
)n,  but 

before 
ame  of 
nner  of 
it,  and 
anding 
eeks  in 
ost  de- 
Iso  did 


% 


'<€ 


sundr}^  of  the  prisoners,  particularly  a  sergeant 
Moore,  a  man  of  courage  and  fidelity.  1  have 
several  times  seen  him  hold  the  boatswain  of  the 
Solebay  frigate,  when  he  attempted  to  strike  him, 
and  laughed  him  out  of  conceit  of  using  him  as  a 
slave.    , 

A  doctor  visited  the  sick,  and  did  the  best,  as  I 
suppose,  he  could  for  them,  to  no  apparent  pur- 
pose. I  grew  weaker  and  weaker,  as  did  the  rest. 
Several  of  them  could  not  help  themselves.  At 
last  I  reasoned  in  my  own  mind,  that  raw  onion 
would  be  good.  I  made  use  of  it,  and  found  im- 
mediate relief  by  it,  as  did  the  sick  in  general,  par- 
ticularly sergeant  Moore,  whom  it  recovered  almost 
from  the  shades ;  though  I  had  met  w- ith  a  liuls 
revival,  still  I  found  the  malignant  hand  of  Britain 
had  greatly  reduced  my  constitution  with  stroke 
upon  stroke.  Esquire  Level  and  myself  used 
every  argument  and  entreaty  that  could  be  well 
conceived  of  in  order  to  obtain  gentleman-like 
usage,  to  no  purpose,  f  then  wrote  Gen.  Massey 
as  severe  a  letter  as  I  possibly  could  with  my  friend 
Level's  assistance.  The  contents  of  it  was  to  give 
the  British,  as  a  nation,  and  him  as  an  individual, 
their  true  character.  This  roused  the  rascal,  for 
he  could  not  bear  to  see  his  and  the  nation's  de- 
formity in  that  transparent  letter,  which  I  sent  him'; 
he  therefore  put  himself  in  a  great  rage  about  it, 


lit 


If  'if 


)t 


70 


ETHAN  ALLEN'S 


hi 


4 


and  showed  the  letter  to  a  number  of  British  offi- 
cers, particularly  to  captain  Smith  of  the  Lark 
frigate,  who,  instead  of  joining  with  him  in  disap- 
probation, commended  .the  spirit  of  it ;  upoa 
which  general  Massey  said  to  him  do  you  take 
the  part  of  a  rebel  against  me  ?  Captain  Smith 
answered  that  he  rather  spoke  his  sentiments,  and 
there  was  a  dissention  in  opinion  between  them. 
Some  officers  took  the  part  of  the  general,  and 
others  of  the  captain.  This  I  was  informed  of  by 
a  gentleman  who  had  it  from  captain  Smith. 

In  a  few  days  after  this,  the  prisoners  were  or- 
dered to  go  on  board  of  a  man  of  war,  which  was 
bound  for  New-York  ;  but  two  of  them  were  not 
able  to  go  on  board,  and  were  left  at  Halifax ;  one 
died;  and  the  other  recovered.  This  was  about 
the  12th  of  October,  and  soon  after  we  had  got 
on  board,  the  captain  sent  for  me  in  particular  to 
come  on  the  quarter  deck.  I  went,  not  knowing 
that  it  was  captain  Smith,  or  his  ship,  at  that  time, 
and  expected  to  meet  the  same  rigorous  usage  I 
had  commonly  met  with,  and  prepared  my  mind 
accordingly  ;  but  when  I  came  on  deck,  the  cap- 
tain met  me  with  his  hand,  welcomed  mc  to  his 
ship,  invited  me  to  dine  with  him  that  day,  and 
assured  me  that  I  should  be  treated  as  a  gentle^ 
man,  and  that  he  had  given  orders,  that  I  should 
be  treated  with  respect  by  the  ship's  crew.     This 


TT^ 


NARRATIVE. 


71 


sh  offi- 

i  Lark 

disap- 

upoQ 

)u  take 

Smith 

ts,  and 

1  them. 

aJ,  and 

dof  by 

I. 

ere  or- 
ch  was 
ere  not 
X  ;  one 
i  about 
lad  got 
3ular  to 
nowing 
at  time, 
usage  I 
y  mind 
be  cap- 
to  his 
ly,  and 
gentle' 
should 
.    This 


I  was  so  unexpected  and  sudden  a  transition,  that 
i  it  drew  tears  from  my  eyes,  which  all  the  ill  usage 
:  1  had  before  met  with,  was  not  able  to  produce, 
nor  could  I  at  first  hardly  speak,  but  soon  recov- 
,  ered  myself  and  expressed  my  gratitude  for  so 
unexpected  a  favor ;  and  let  him  know  that  I  felt 
,  anxiety  of  mind  in  reflecting  that  his  situation  and 
I  mine  was  such,  that  it  was  not  probable  that  it 
I  would  ever  be  in  my  power  to  return  the  favor. 
I  Captain  Smith  replied,  that  he  had  no  reward  in 
Iview,  but  only  treated  me  as  a  gentleman  ought 
I  to  be  treated  ;  he  said  this  is  a  mutable  world, 
I  and  one  gentleman  never  knows  but  it  may  be  in 
his  power  to  help  another.  Soon  after  I  found 
this  to  be  the  same  captain  Smith  who  took  my 
J  part  agamst  general  Massey  ;  but  he  never  men- 
ftioned  any  thing  of  it  to  me,  and  1  thought  it 
|impolite  in  me  to  interrogate  him,  as  to  any  dis- 
putes which  might  have  arisen  between  him  and 
the  general  on  my  account,  as  I  was  a  prisoner, 
and  that  it  was  at  his  option  to  make  free  with  me 
on  that  subject,  if  he  pleased  ;  and  if  he  did  not, 
I  might  take  it  for  granted  that  it  would  be  un- 
pleasing  for  me  to  query  about  it,  though  I  had  a 
strong  propensity  to  converse  with  him  on  that 
ubject. 

I  dined  with  the  captain  agreeable  to  his  invita- 
ion,  and  oftentimes  with  the  lieutenant,  in  the 


'  "I 


72 


ETHAN  ALLEN'S 


W    I 


gun-room,  but  in  general  ate  and  drank  with  my 
friend  Lovel  and  the  other  gendemen  who  were 
prisoners  with  me,  where  I  also  slept. 

We  had  a  little  berth  enclosed  with  canvas,  be- 
tween decks,  where  we  enjoyed  ourselves  very 
well,  in  hopes  of  an  exchange ;  besides,  our 
friends  at  Halifax  had  a  litde  notice  of  our  depar- 
ture, and  supplied  us  with  spirituous  liquor,  and 
many  articles  of  provision  for  the  cost.  Captain 
Burk,  having  been  taken  prisoner,  was  added  to 
our  company,  (he  had  commanded  an  American 
armed  vessel)  and  was  generously  treated  by  the 
captain  and  all  the  officers  of  thj^  ship,  as  v/ell  as 
myself.  We  now  had  in  all  near  thirty  prisoners 
on  board,  and  as  we  were  sailing  along  the  coast, 
if  I  recollect  right,  off  Rhode -Island,  captain 
Burk,  with  an  under  officer  of  the  ship,  whose 
name  I  do  not  recollect,  came  to  our  little  berth, 
proposed  to  kill  captain  Smith  and  the  principal 
officers  of  the  frigate  and  take  it ;  adding  that 
there  were  thirty-five  thousand  pounds  sterling  in 
the  same.  Captain  Burk  likewise  averred  that  a 
strong  party  out  of  the  ship's  crew  was  in  the 
conspiracy,  and  urged  me,  and  the  gentleman  that 
was  with  me,  to  use  our  influence  with  the  private 
prisoners,  to  execute  the  design,  and  take  the 
ship  w^th  the  cash  into  one  of  our  own  ports. 

Upon  which  I  replied,  that  we  had  been  too 


:-?• 


NARRATIVE. 


73 


ith  my 
D  were 

as,  be- 
very 
our 
depar- 
)r,  and 
Captain 
Ided  to 
[lerican 
by  the 
well  as 
^isoners 
e  coast, 
captain 
,  whose 
e  berth, 
)rincipal 
ing  that 
3rling  in 
d  that  a 
IS  in  the 
nan  that 
5  private 
take  the 
orts. 
)een  too 


I 


well  used  on  board  to  murder  the  officers  ;  that  I 
could  by  no  means  reconcile  il  to  my  conscience, 
and  that,  in  fact,  it  should  not  be  done  ;  and  while 
I  was  yet  speaking,  my  friend  Lovel  confirmed 
what  I  had  said,  and  farther  pointed  out  ther  un- 
gratefulness of  such  an  act ;  that  it  did  not  fall 
short  of  murder,  and  in  tine  all  the  gentlemen  in 
the  berth  opposed  captain  Burk  and  his  colleague. 
But  they  strenuously  urged  that  the  conspiracy 
would  be  found  out,  and  that  it  would  cost  them 
their  lives,  provided  they  did  not  execute  their 
design.  I  then  interposed  spiritedly,  and  put  an 
end  to  further  argument  on  the  subject,  and  told 
them  that  they  might  depend  upon  it,  upon  my 
honor,  that  I  would  faithfully  guard  captain  Smith's 
life.  If  they  should  attempt  the  assault,  1  would 
assist  him,  for  the}^  desired  me  to  remain  neuter,  and 
that  the  same  honor  that  guarded  captain  Smith's 
life,  would  also  guard  theirs  ;  and  it  was  agreed 
by  those  present  not  to  reveal  the  conspiracy,  to 
the  intent  that  no  man  should  be  put  to  death,  in 
consequence  of  what  had  been  projected;  and 
captain  Burk  and  his  colleague  went  to  stifle  the 
matter  among  their  associates.  I  could  not  help 
calling  to  mind  what  captain  Smith  said  to  me, 
when  I  first  came  on  board  :  "  This  is  a  mutable 
world,  and  one  gentleman  never  knows  but  that 
it  may  be  in  his  power  to  help  another."  Captain 


f  H 


ii 


:    n 


It ' 


I'l 


74 


t:THAN  ALLEN'S 


Smith  and  his  officers  still  behaved  with  their  usual 
courtesy,  and  I  never  heard  any  more  of  the 
conspiracy. 

We  arrived  before  New-York,  and  cast  anchor 
the  latter  part  of  October,  where  we  remained 
several  days,  and  where  captain  Smith  informed 
me,  that  he  had  recommended  me  to  admiral 
Howe  and  general  Sir  Wm.  Howe,  as  a  gentle- 
man of  honor  and  veracity,  and  desired  that  I 
might  be  treated  as  such.  Captain  Burk  was  then 
ordered  on  board  a  prison-ship  in  the  harbor.  I 
took  my  leave  of  cap*  n  Smith,  and  with  the 
other  prisoners,  was  sent  on  board  a  transport 
ship,  which  lay  in  the  harbor,  commanded  by 
captain  Craige,  who  took  me  into  the  cabin  with 
him  and  his  lieutenant.  1  fared  as  they  did,  and 
was  in  every  respect  well  treated,  in  consequence 
of  directions  from  captain  Smith.  In  a  few  weeks 
after  this  I  had  the  happiness  to  part  with  my 
friend  Lovel,  for  his  sake,  whom  the  enemy  af- 
fected to  treat  as  a  private  ;  he  was  a  gentleman 
of  merit,  and  liberally  educated,  but  had  no  com- 
mission ;  they  maligned  him  on  account  of  his 
unshaken  attachment  to  the  cause  of  his  country. 
He  was  exchanged  for  a  governor  Philip  Skene  of 
of  the  British.  I  was  continued  in  (his  ship  till 
the  latter  part  of  November,  where  I  contracted 
an  acquaintance  with  the  captain  of  the  British ; 


!■'. 


i 


NARRAtlVE. 


75 


usual 
)f  the 

inchor 
fiained 
ormed 
dniiral 
gentle- 
that  I 
IS  then 
)or.     I 
ith  the 
msport 
led  by 
in  with 
id,  and 
quence 
weeks 
ith   my 
emy  at- 
[itleman 
no  com- 
t  of  his 
country. 
5kene  of 
ship  till 
ntracted 
British ; 


his  name  has  slipped  my  memory.  He  was  what 
we  may  call  a  genteel,  hearty  fellow.  I  remember 
an  expression  of  his  over  a  bottle  of  wine,  to  this 
import :  "  That  there  is  a  greatness  of  soul  for 
personal  friendship  to  subsist  between  you  and 
me,  as  we  are  upon  opposite  sides,  and  may  at 
another  day  be  obliged  to  face  each  other  in  the 
field."  I  am  confident  that  he  was  as  faithful  as 
any  officer  in  the  British  army.  At  another  sit- 
ting he  offered  to  bet  a  dozen  of  wine,  that  fort 
Washington  would  be  in  the  hands  of  the  British 
in  three  days.  I  stood  the  bet,  and  would,  had 
I  known  that  that  would  have  been  the  case  ;  and 
the  third  day  afterwards  we  heard  a  heavy 
cannonade,  and  that  day  the  fort  was  taken  sure 
enough.  Some  months  after,  when  I  was  on 
parole,  he  called  upon  me  with  his  usual  humor, 
and  mentioned  the  bet.  I  acknowledged  I  had 
lost  it,  but  he  said  he  did  not  mean  to  take  it 
then,  as  I  was  a  prisoner ;  that  he  would  another 
day  call  on  me,  when  their  army  came  to  Ben- 
nington. I  replied,  that  he  was  quite  too  generous, 
as  i  had  fairly  lost  it ;  besides,  the  Green-Moun- 
tain-Boys  would  not  suffer  them  to  come  to 
Bennington.  This  was  all  in  good  humor.  I 
should  have  been  glad  to  have  seen  him  after  the 
defeat  at  Bennington,  but  did  not.  It  was  cus- 
tomary for  a  guard  to  attend  the  prisoners,  which 


!•:, 


•  I 


ETIIAW   ALLEr^'s 


was  often  changed.     One 


iposed  of  tor 


Ht'  ..'li 


was  com] 

from  Connecticut,  in  the  vicinity  of  Fairfield  and 
Green  Farms.  The  sergeant's  name  was  Iloit. 
They  were  very  full  of  their  invectives  against  the 
country,  swaggered  of  their  loyalty  to  their  king, 
and  exclaimed  bitterly  against  the  "  cowardly 
y^nkees,"  as  they  were  pleased  to  term  them, 
but  finally  contented  themselves  with  saying,  that 
when  the  country  was  overcome,  they  should  be 
v/ell  rewarded  for  their  loyalty  out  of  the  estates 
of  the  whigs,  which  would  be  confiscated.  This 
I  found  to  be  the  general  language  of  the  tories, 
after  I  arrived  from  England  on  the  American 
coast.  1  heard  sundry  of  them  relate,  that  the 
British  generals  had  engaged  them  an  ample  re- 
ward for  their  losses,  disappointments  and  expen- 
ditures, out  of  the  forfeited  rebels'  estates.  This 
language  early  taught  me  what  to  do  with  tories' 
estates,  as  far  as  my  influence  can  go.  For  it  is 
really  a  game  of  hazard  between  whig  and  tory. 
The  whigs  must  inevitably  have  lost  all,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  abilities  of  the  tories,  and  their 
good  friends  the  British ;  and  it  is  no  more  than 
right  the  tories  should  run  the  same  risk,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  abilities  of  the  whigs.  But  of 
this  more  will  be  observed  in  the  sequel  of  this 
narrative.     *  V 


I 


I 


t( 

S( 

a| 

Ci 

SI 


Itl 


A- 


'  tories 
\{\  and 
J  Hoit. 

nst  the 
r  king, 
wardly 
1  them, 
ig,  that 
5uld  be 
estates 
This 
e  tories, 
inerican 
hat    the 
nple  re- 
[  expen- 
;.     This 
h  tories' 
For  it  is 
,nd  tory. 
n  conse- 
id    their 
ore  than 
,  in  con- 
But  of 
I  of  this 


>^ 


.*^ 


NARUATIVE. 


77 


Some  of  the  last  days  of  November,  the  prison- 
ers were  landed  at  New-York,  and  I  was  admitted 
to  parole  with  the  other  officers,  viz:  Proctor, 
Howland  and  Taylor.  The  privates  were  put  into 
filthy  churches  in  New-York,  with  the  distressed 
prisoners  that  were  taken  at  Fort  Washington ; 
and  the  second  night,  sergeant  Roger  Moore,  who 
was  bold  and  enterprising,  found  means  to  make  his 
escape  with  every  of  the  remaining  prisoners  that 
were  taken  with  me,  except  three,  who  were  soon 
after  exchanged.  So  that  out  of  thiriy-one  prison- 
ers, who  went  with  me  the  round  exhibited  in  these 
^sheets,  two  only  died  with  the  enemy,  and  three 
only  were  exchanged  ;  one  of  whom  died  after  be 
came  within  our  lines ;  all  the  rest,  at  dilferent 
times,  made  their  escape  i'rom  the  enemy. 

I  now  found  myself  on  i)arole,  and  restricted 
to  the  limits  of  the  city  of  New- York,  where  I 
soon  projected  means  to  live  in  some  measure 
agreeably  to  my  rank,  though  I  was  destitute  of 
cash.  My  constitution  was  almost  worn  out  by 
such  a  long  and  barbarous  captivity.  The  enemy 
gave  out  that  I  was  crazy,  and  wholly  unmanned, 
but  my  vitals  held  sound,  nor  was  I  delirious  any 
more  than  I  had  been  from  youth  up ;  but  my 
extreme  circumstances,  at  certain  times,  rendered 
it  politic  to  act  in  some  measure  the  madman  ; 
and  in  consequence  of  a  regular  diet  and  exercise, 


'M 


78 


ETHAN  Af-LEN  fT 


!■;' 


^'I' 


my  blood  recruited,  and  my  nerves  in  a  great 
measure  recovered  their  former  tone,  strength 
and  usefulness,  in  the  course  of  six  months. 

I  next  invite  the  reader  to  a  retrospective  sight 
and  consideration  of  the  doleful  scene  of  inhuman- 
ity, exercised  by  general  Sir  William  Howe,  and 
the  army  under  his  command,  towards  the  prison- 
ers taken  on  Long-Island,  on  the  27th  day  of  Aug. 
1776;  sundry  of  whom  were,  in  an  inhuman  and 
barbarous  manner,  murdered  after  they  had  sur- 
rendered their  arms  ;  pariicularly  a  general  Ode), 
or  Woodhull,  of  the  militia,  who  was  hacked  to 
pieces  with  cutlasses,  when  alive,  bj  the  light 
horsemen,  and  a  captain  Fellows,  of  the  conti- 
nental army,  who  was  thrust  through  with  a 
bayonet,  of  which  wound  he  died  instantly.  Sun- 
dry others  were  hanged  up  by  the  neck  till  they 
were  dead  ;  five  on  the  limb  of  a  white  oak  tree, 
and  without  any  reason  assigned,  except  that  they 
were  fighting  in  defence  of  the  only  blessing  worth 
preserving.  And  indeed  those  who  had  the  mis- 
fortune to  fall  into  their  hands  at  Fort  Washington, 
in  the  month  of  November  following,  met  with 
but  very  little  better  usage,  except  that  they  were 
reserved  from  immediate  death  to  famish  and  die 
with  hunger ;  in  fine,  the  word  rebel,  applied  to 
any  vanquished  persons,  without  regard  to  rank, 
who  were  in  the  continental  service,  on  the  27th  of 


w 


^AllRATIVE. 


79 


grea! 
^ngth 

sight 
iman- 
,  and 
rison- 
■  Aug. 
n  and 
d  sur- 
Odel, 
ked  to 

light 

conti- 

vith   a 

Sun- 
11  they 
k  tree, 
it  they 
r  worth 
le  mis- 
ington, 
;t  with 
y  were 
and  die 
plied  to 

0  rank, 

27tb  of 


August  aforesaid,  was  thought,  by  the  enemy,  suf- 
ficient to  sanctify  whatever  cruelties  they  were 
pleased  to  inflict,  death  itself  not  excepted  ;  but 
to  pass  over  particulars  which  would  swell  my 
my  narrative  far  beyond  my  design. 

The  private  soldiers,  who  were  brought  to  New 
York,  were  crowded  into  churches,  and  environed 
with  slavish  Hessian  guards,  a  people  of  a  strange 
language,  who  were  sent  to  America  for  no  other 
design  but  cruelty  and  desolation ;  and  at  others, 
by  merciless  Britons  whose  mode  of  communica- 
ting ideas  being  intelligible  in  this  country,  served 
only  to  tantalize  and  insult  the  helpless  and  per- 
ishing ;  but  above  all,  the  hellish  delight  and  tri- 
umph of  the  tories  over  them,  as  they  were  dying 
by  hundreds.     This  was  too  much  for  me  to  bear 
as  a  spectator ;  for  I  saw  the  tories  exulting  ovei' 
the  dead  bodies  of  tlieir  murdered  countrymen.   I 
have  gone  into  the  churches,  and  seen  sundry  of 
the   prisoners   in    the  agonies   of  death,  in  con- 
sequence of  very  hunger,  and  others   speechless, 
and    very    near   death,    biting   pieces  of  chips  ; 
others    pleading  for  God's    sake,   for   something 
to  cat,    and   at  the    same    time,    shivering    with 
the  cold.     Hollow  groans   saluted  my  ears,  and 
despair  seemed  to  Se  imprinted  on  every  of  their 
countenances.     The  filth  in   these  churches,   in 
amsequence  of  the  fluxes,  was  almost  beyond  de- 


I ,' 


80 


ETHAx  Allen's 


scription  The  floors  were  covered  with  excre- 
ments. I  have  carefully  sought  to  direct  my  steps 
so  as  to  avoid  it,  but  could  not.  They  would  beg 
for  God's  sake  for  one  copper,  or  morsel  of  bread. 
I  have  seen  in  one  of  these  churches  seven  dead, 
at  the  same  time,  lying  among  the  excrements  of 
their  bodies.  ^ 

It  was  a  common  practice  with  the  enemy,  to 
convey  the  dead  from  these  filthy  places,  in  carts, 
to  be  slightly  buried,  and  I  have  been  whole  gangs 
of  tories  making  derision,  and  exulting  over  the 
dead,  saying,  there  goes  another  load  of  damned 
rebels.  I  have  observed  the  British  soldiers  to  be 
full  of  their  black  guard  jokes,  and  vaunting  on 
those  occasions,  but  they  appeared  to  me  less 
malignant  than  tories. 

The  provision  dealt  out  to  the  prisoners  was  by 
no  means  sufficient  lor  the  support  of  life.  It  was 
deficient  in  quantity,  and  much  more  so  in  quafity. 
The  prisoners  often  presented  me  with  a  sample 
of  their  bread,  which  I  certify  was  damaged  to 
that  degree,  that  it  was  loathsome  and  unfit  to  be 
eaten,  and  I  am  bold  to  aver  it,  as  my  opinion, 
that  it  had  been  condemned,  and  was  of  the  very 
worst  sort.  I  have  seen  and  been  fed  upon  dam- 
aged bread,  in  the  course  of  my  captivity,  and 
observ«;d  the  quality  of  such  bread  as  has  been 
condemned  by  the  enemy,  among  which  was  very! 


i;-' 


NARRATIVE. 


81 


xcre- 

steps 
d  beg 
)read. 
dead, 
jnts  of 


my, 


to 


.  carts, 
gangs 
er  the 
amned 

[s  to  be 
iting  on 
ne  less 

was  by 
It  was 

quality. 
.  sample 
aged  to 
fit  to  be 
opinion, 
the  very 
>on  dam- 
Ity,  and 
las  been 
was  very 


little  so  effectually  spoiled  as  what  was  dealt  out 
to  these  prisoners.  Their  allowance  of  meat  (as 
they  told  me)  was  quite  trifling,  and  of  the  basest 
sort.  I  never  saw  any  of  it,  but  was  informed, 
that  bad  as  it  was,  it  was  swallowed  almost  as 
quick  as  they  got  hold  of  it.  I  saw  some  of  them 
sucking  bones  after  they  were  speechless  ;  others, 
who  could  yet  speak,  and  had  the  use  of  their 
reason,  urged  me,  in  the  strongest  and  most 
pathetic  manner,  to  use  my  interest  in  their  be- 
half; for  you  plainly  see,  said  they,  that  we  are 
devoted  to  death  and  destruction  ;  and  after  1  had 
examined  more  particularly  into  their  truly  deplo- 
rable condition,  and  had  become  more  fully 
apprized  of  the  essential  facts,  I  was  persuaded 
that  it  was  a  premeditated  and  systematical  plan 
of  the  British  council,  to  destroy  the  youths  of 
our  land,  with  a  view  thereby  to  deter  the  coun- 
try, and  make  it  subanit  to  their  despotism ;  but 
that  I  could  not  do  them  any  material  service,  and 
that,  by  any  public  attempt  for  that  purpose,  I 
might  endanger  myself  by  frequenting  places  the 
most  nauseous  and  contai^^ious  that  could  be  con- 
ceived  of.  I  refrained  going  into  churches,  but 
frequently  conversed  with  such  of  the  prisoners 
as  were  admitted  to  come  out  into  the  yard,  and 
found  that  the  systematical  usage  still  continued. 
The  guard  would  often  drive  me  away  with  their 


82 


ETHAN  ALLEN'S 


§ 


I 


fixed  bayonets.  A  Hessian  one  day  followed  me 
five  or  six  rods,  but  by  making  use  of  my  legs,  I 
got  rid  of  the  lubber.  Sometimes  I  could  ob- 
tain a  little  conversation,  notwithstanding  their 
severides. 

I  was  in  one  of  the  church  yards,  and  it  was 
rumored  among  those  in  the  church,  and  sundry 
of  the  prisoners  came  wirh  their  usual  complaints 
to  me,  and  among  the  rest  a  large  boned,  tall 
young  man,  as  he  told  me,  from  Pennsylvania, 
who  was  reduced  to  a  mere  skeleton ;  he  said  he 
was  glad  to  see  me  before  he  died,  which  he  ex- 
pected to  have  done  last  night,  but  was  a  little 
revived ;  he  furthermore  inlormed  me,  that  he 
and  his  brother  had  been  urged  to  enlist  into  the 
British,  but  both  had  resolved  to  die  first ;  that  his 
brother  had  died  last  night,  in  consequence  of 
that  resolution,  and  that  he  expected  shortly  to 
follow  him  ;  but  I  made  the  other  prisoners  stand 
a  htde  off,  and  told  him  wilh  a  low  voice  to  en- 
list ;  he  then  asked,  whether  it  was  right  ia  the 
sight  of  God  !  I  assured  him  that  it  was,  and  that 
duty  to  himself  obliged  him  to  deceive  the  British 
by  enlisting  and  deserting  the  first  opportunity  ; 
upon  which  he  answered  with  transport  that  he 
would  enlist.  I  charged  him  not  to  mention  my 
name  as  his  adviser,  lest  it  should  get  air,  and  1 
should  be  closely  confined,  in  consequence  of  it, 


Th 
ere 
mit 
ser 

allj 
the 

it  s 
exe 
but 
tern 
to  b 
opej 
grar 
rner 
ham 
land 
pub 


NARRATIVE. 


83 


J  me 

gs,  I 
ob- 

their 

t  was 
undry 
)laints 
d,  tall 
vania, 
aid  he 
le  ex- 
a  little 
lat  he 
ito  the 
hat  his 
mce  of 
)rtly  to 
5  stand 
to  en- 
i  in  the 
nd  that 
British 
tunity  ; 
that  he 
tion  rny 
',  and  1 
3e  of  it 


The  integrity  of  these  suffering  prisoners  is  hardly 
credible.  Many  hundreds,  I  am  confident,  sub- 
mitted to  death,  rather  than  to  enlist  in  the  British 
service,  which,  I  am  informed,  they  most  gener- 
ally were  pressed  to  do.  I  was  astonished  at 
the  resolution  of  the  two  brothers  particularly ; 
it  seems  that  they  could  not  be  stimulated  to  such 
exertions  of  heroism  from  ambition,  as  they  were 
but  obscure  soldiers  ;  strong  nideed  must  the  in- 
ternal principle  of  virtue  be,  which  supported  them 
to  brave  death,  and  one  of  them  went  through  the 
operation,  as  did  many  hundred  others.  I  readily 
grant  that  instances  of  pubhc  virtue  are  no  excite- 
ment to  the  sordid  and  vicious,  nor,  on  the  other 
hand,  will  all  the  barbarity  of  Britain  and  Hesh- 
land  awaken  them  to  a  sense  of  their  duty  to  the 
public;  but  these  things  will  have  their  proper 
effect  on  the  generous  and  brave.  The  officers 
on  parole  were  most  of  them  zealous,  if  possible, 
to  afford  the  miserable  soldiery  relief,  and  often 
consulted  with  one  another  on  the  subject,  but  to 
no  effect,  being  destitute  of  the  means  of  subsis- 
tence, which  they  needed  ;  nor  could  the  officers 
project  any  measure,  which  they  thought  would 
alter  their  fate,  or  so  much  as  be  a  means  of  getting 
them  out  of  those  filthy  places  to  the  privilege  of 
iresh  air.  Some  projected  that  all  the  officers 
.should  go  in  procession  to   general  Howe,  and 


.  IS 


t 


84 


EIHAN  AI.LEn's 


f'l 


plead  the  cause  of  the  perishing  soldiers ;  but  this 
proposal  was  negatived  for  the  following  reasons, 
viz :  because  that  general  Howe  must  needs  be 
well  acquainted,  and  have  a  thorough  knowledge 
of  the  state  and  condition  of  the  prisoners  in 
every  of  their  wretched  apartments,  and  that  much 
more  particular  and  exact  than  any  officer  on  pa- 
role could  be  supposed  to  have,  as  the  general 
had  a  return  of  the  circumstances  of  the  prison- 
ers, by  his  own  officers,  every  morning,  of  the 
number  which  were  alive,  as  also  the  number 
which  died  every  twenty -four  hours ;  and  conse- 
quently the  bill  of  mortality,  as  collected  from 
the  daily  returns,  lay  before  him  with  all  the 
material  situations  and  circumstances  of  the  pris- 
oners ;  and  provided  the  officers  should  go  in 
procession  to  general  Howe,  according  to  the 
projection,  it  would  give  him  the  greatest  afTroiit, 
and  that  he  would  either  retort  upon  them,  that  ii 
was  no  part  of  their  parole  to  instruct  him  in  his 
conduct  to  prisoners ;  that  they  were  nmtining 
against  his  authority,  and  by  affronting  him,  had 
forfeited  their  parole  ;  or  that,  more  probably, 
instead  of  saying  one  word  to  them,  would  order 
them  all  into  as  wretched  confinement  as  the  sol- 
diers whom  they  sought  to  relieve  ;  for,  at  that 
time,  the  British,  fi'om  the  general  to  the  private 
sentinel,  were  in  full  confidence,  nor  did  thev  so 


NARRATIVE* 


85 


much  as  hesitate,  but  that  they  should  conquer  the 
country.  Thus  the  consultation  of  the  officers 
was  confounded  and  broken  to  pieces,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  dread,  which  at  that  time  lay  on 
their  minds,  of  oflending  Gen.  Howe;  for  they 
conceived  so  murderous  a  tyrant  would  not  be  too 
good  to  destroy  even  the  officers,  on  the  least  pre- 
tence of  an  affi'ont,  as  they  were  equally  in  his 
power  with  the  soldiers;  and,  as  Gen.  Howe  per- 
fectly understood  the  condition  of  the  private 
soldiers,  it  was  argued  that  it  was  exactly  such 
as  he  and  his  council  had  devised,  and  as  he  meant 
to  destroy  them  it  would  be  to  no  purpose  for  them 
to  try  to  dissuade  him  from  it,  as  they  were  help- 
less and  liable  to  the  same  fate,  on  giving  the  least 
affront ;  indeed  anxious  apprehensions  disturbed 
them  in  their  then  circumstances. 

Mean  time  mortality  raged  to  such  an  intolera- 
ble degree  among  the  prisoners,  that  the  very 
school  boys  in  the  streets  knew  the  mental  design 
of  it  in  some  measure;  at  least,  they  knew  that 
they  were  starved  to  death.  Some  poor  women 
contributed  to  their  necessity,  till  their  children  were 
almost  starved,  and  all  persons  of  common  under- 
standing knew  that  they  were  devoted  to  the  cru- 
elest  and  worst  of  deaths.  ]t  was  also  proposed 
by  some  to  make  a  written  representation  of  the 
condition  of  the  soldiery,  and  the  officers  to  sign 
8 


86 


ETHAN  ALLEN'S 


it,  and  that  it  should  be  couched  in  such  terms,  as 
though  they  were  apprehensive  that  the  General 
Avas  imposed  upon  by  his  oflicers,  in  their  daily 
returns  to  him  of  the  state  and  condition  of"  the  pris- 
oners ;  and  that  therefore  the  officers,  moved  with 
compassion,  were  constrained  to  communicate  to 
him  the  facts  relative  to  them,  nothing  doubting 
but  that  they  would  meet  with  a  speedy  redress ; 
but  this  proposal  was  most  generally  negatived 
also,  and  for  much  the  same  reason  offered  in  the 
other  case ;  for  it  was  conjectured  that  Gen. 
Howe's  indignation  would  be  moved  against  such 
officers  as  should  attempt  to  whip  him  over  his 
officers'  backs  ;  that  he  would  discern  that  himself 
was  really  struck  at,  and  not  the  officers  who 
made  the  daily  returns ;  and  therefore  self-preser- 
vation deterred  the  officers  from  either  petitioning 
or  remonstrating  to  Gen.  Howe,  either  verbally  or 
in  writino; ;  as  also  the  consideration  that  no  valu- 
able  purpose  to  the  distressed  would  be  ob- 
tained. 

I  made  several  rough  drafts  on  the  subject,  one 
of  which  I  exhibited  to  the  colonels  Magaw,  Miles 
and  Atlee,  and  they  said  that  they  would  consider 
the  matter  ;  soon  after  1  called  on  them,  and  some 
of  the  gendemen  informed  me  that  they  had  writ- 
ten to  the  general  on  the  subject,  and  I  concluded 
that  the  gentlemen  thought  it  best  that  they  should 


.i. 


NAflRATIVE. 


87 


7,  as 
leral 
[I  ally 

pris- 
Iwith 
ie  to 
.ting 


write    without   me,  as   there    was    such  spirited 
aversion  subsisting  between  the  British  and  me. 

In  the  mean  time  a  colonel  Hussecker,  of  the 
continental  army,  as  he  then  re[)orted,  was  taken 
prisoner,  and  brought  to  New-York,  who  gave 
out  that  the  country  was  almost  universally  sub- 
milting  to  the  English  king's  authority,  and  that 
there  would  be  little  or  no  more  opposition  to 
Great-Britain.  This  at  first  gave  the  odicers  a 
little  shock,  but  in  a  few  days  they  recovered 
themselves  ;  for  this  colonel  Hussecker,  being  a 
German,  was  feasting  with  general  De  Ileister, 
his  countryman,  and  from  his  conduct  they  were 
apprehensive  that  he  was  a  knave ;  at  least  he 
was  esteemed  so  by  most  of  the  officers ;  it  was 
nevertheless  a  day  of  trouble.  The  enemy  blas- 
phemed. Our  htde  army  was  retreating  in  New- 
Jersey,  and  our  young  men  murdered  by  hun- 
dreds in  New-York.  The  army  of  Britain  and 
Heshland  prevailed  for  a  little  season,  as  though 
it  was  ordered  by  Heaven  to  shew,  to  the  latest 
posterity,  what  the  British  would  have  done  if 
they  could,  and  what  the  general  calamity  must 
have  been,  in  consequence  of  their  conquering  the 
country,  and  to  excite  every  honest  man  to  stand 
forth  in  the  defence  of  liberty,  and  to  establish 
the  independency  of  the  United  States  of  Americai 
forever.     But  this  scene  of  adverse  fortune  did 


i\ 


ft 


88 


ETHAN  ALLEN'3 


I     '   ! 


not  discourage  a  Washington.  The  ilhistrious 
American  hero  remained  immoveable.  In  liber- 
ty's cause  he  took  up  his  sword.  Tiiis  reOeclion 
was  hi.s  support  and  consolation  in  the  day  of  his 
humiliation,  when  he  retreated  before  the  enemy, 
through  New-Jersey  into  Pennsylvania.  Their 
triumph  only  roused  his  indignation ;  and  the  im- 
portant cause  of  his  country,  which  lay  near  his 
heart,  moved  him  to  cross  the  Delaware  again, 
and  take  ample  satisfaction  on  his  pursuers.  No 
sooner  had  he  circumvallated  his  haughty  foes, 
and  appeared  in  terrible  array,  but  the  host  of 
Heshland  fell.     This  taught  America  the  intrinsic 

wortn  or  "perseVGrrtiiCG,  sncl  thc  generous  sons  of 

freedom  Hew  to  the  standard  of  their  common 
safeguard  and  defence ;  from  which  time  the  arm 
of  American  liberty  hath  prevailed.* 


<\  K 


*  The  American  army  being  greatly  reduced  by  the  loss  of  men 
taken  prisoners,  and  by  the  departure  of  men  whose  inlistments 
had  expired,  General  Wasliington  was  oblig-ed  to  retreat  towards 
Philadelphia  ;  General  Howe,  exulting  in  his  successes,  pursued 
him,  notwithstanding  the  weather  was  severely  cold.  To  add  to 
the  disasters  of  the  Americans,  General  Lee  was  surprised  and 
taken  prioner  at  Basken ridge.  In  tliis  gloomy  state  of  aflairs, 
many  persons  joined  the  British  cause  and  took  protection.  But 
a  small  band  of  heroes  checked  the  tide  of  British  success.  A 
division  of  Hessians  had  advanced  to  Trenton,  where  they  reposed 
in  security.  General  Washington  was  on  the  opposite  side  Oi'the 
Delaware,  with  about  three  thousand  men,  many  of  whom  were 
without  shoes  or  convenient  clothing  ;  and  the  river  was  covered 


I 


% 


NARRATIVE. 


89 


This  surprise  and  capture  of  the  Hessians 
enraged  the  enemy,  who  were  still  vastly  more  nu- 
merous than  the  continental  troops.  They  there- 
fore collected,  and  marched  from  Princetown,  to 
attack  general  Washington,  who  was  then  at 
Trenton,  having  previously  left  a  detachment  from 
their  main  body  at  Princetown,  for  the  support  of 
that  place.  This  was  a  trying  time,  for  our  wor- 
thy general,  though  in  possession  of  a  late  most 
astonishing  victory,  was  by  no  means  able  to 
withstand  the  collective  force  of  the  enemy  ;  but 
his  sagacity  soon  suggested  a  stratagem  to  effect 
that  which,  by  force,  to  him  was  at  that  time 
impracticable.  He  therefore  amused  the  enemy 
with  a  number  of  fires,  and  in  the  night  made  a 
forced  march,  undiscovered  by  them,  and  next 
m  'rning  fell  in  ^vuh  their  rear-guard  at  Princetown, 
an  killed  and  ti.ok  must  ol  them  prisoners.  'Vhe 
main  body  too  late  perceived  their  rear  was  at- 
tacked, hurried  back  with  all  speed,  but  to  their 
mortification,  f(  und  that  they  were  out-generalled 
and   baffled   by    general   Washington,  who   was 


t\\ 


with  floaLiiiO'  ice.  But  the  general  knew  the  importance  of  striking 
.some  succc:^.'iful  blow,  to  animate  the  expiring  hopes'of  the  coun- 
try; and  .  r.  ihe  night  of  December  25ih,  crossed  the  river,  ind 
fell  upon  the  enemy  by  surprise,  and  took  the  whole  body  con  d- 
tin-j  of  about  nine  hundred  men.  A  few  were  killed,  among  whmn 
was  colonel  Rahl  the  commander. 


i 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


1.0 

;|Ki  ^ 

■^  Im    112  2 

£  lis    |2.0 

1. ,        iiii^^ 

I.I 

lllll  1  fi 

1.25 

1.4 

is 
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,% 


^ 


/ 


# 


y 


/^ 


Photographic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

(716)  872-4503 


^% 


v 


:\ 


\ 


^ 


A 


V- 


4^" 


\ 


K^ 


90 


ETHAN  alien's 


iH' 


Hi 


retired  with  his  little  army  towards  Morristowiij 
and  was  out  of  their  power. ^  These  repeated 
successes,  one  on  the  back  of  the  other,  cha'^riried 
the  enemy  prodigiously,  and  had  an  amazing 
operation  in  the  scale  of  American  politics,  and 
undoubtedly  was  one  of  the  corner  stones,  on  which 
their  fair  structure  of  Independency  has  been 
fabricated,  ior  the  country  at  no  one  time  has  ever 
been  so  much  dispirited  as  just  before  the  morn- 
ing of  this  glorious  success,  which  in  part  dispelled 
the  gloomy  clouds  of  oppression  and  slavery, 
which  lay  pending  over  America  big  with  the 
ruin  of  this  and  future  genei'ations,  and  enlightened 


1: 


*  Oil  the  2d  of  Januar}%  1777,  lord  Cornwall  is  appeared  near 
Trenton,  with  a  strong  body  of  troope.  Skirmishing  look  place 
and  impeded  the  march  of  the  British  army,  until  ilio  Americans 
had  secured  their  artillery  and  bagga|fe  ;  wlien  ilipy  retired  to  the 
southward  of  the  creek,  and  repulsed-  the  enemy  in  their  attempt 
to  pass  the  bridge.  As  general  Washington's  force  was  not  suffi- 
cient to  meet  the  enemy,  and  his  situation  was  critical,  he  deter- 
mined, with  the  advice  of  a  council  of  war,  to  attempt  a  stratagem. 
He  gave  orders  for  the  troops  to  light  fires  in  their  camp,  (which  were 
intended  to  deceive  t^^e  enemy,)  and  be  prepared  to  march.  Accord- 
ingly  at  twelve  o'clock  at  night  the  troops  left  the  ground,  and  by 
a  circuitous  march,  eluded  the  vigilance  of  the  enemy,  and  early  in 
the  morning  appeared  at  Princeton.  A  smart  action  ensued,  but 
the  British  troops  gave  way.  A  party  took  refuge  in  the  college, 
a  building  with  strong  stone  walls,  but  were  forced  to  surrender. 
The  enemy  lost  in  killed,  wounded  and  prisoners,  about  five  hun- 
dred  men.  The  Americans  lost  but  few  men  ;  but  among  them 
-Mi/as  a  most  valuable  officer,-  general  Mercer. 


sar 


""»^—  ""I  ■  "  ,"  Tl"w      '  •! 


NARRATIVE. 


91 


(■li 


i 

117 


11  ear 

(lace 


and  spirited  her  sons  to  redouble  their  blows  on  a 
merciless,  and  haughty,  and  I  rnay  add  perfidious 
enemy. 

Farthermore,  this  success  had  a  mighty  eflect 
on  general  Howe  ;ind  his  council,  and  roused 
them  to  a  sense  of  their  own  weakness,  and  con- 
vmced  them  that  they  were  neither  omniscient 
nor  omnipotent.  Their  obduracy  and  death-de- 
signing malevolence,  in  some  measure,  abated 
or  was  suspended.  The  prisoners,  who  were 
condemned  to  the  most  wretched  and  cruelest  of 
deaths,  and  who  survived  to  this  period,  though 
most  of  them  died  before,  were  immediately  or- 
dered to  be  sent  within  Gen.  Washington's  lines 
for  an  exchange,  and,  in  consequence  of  it,  were 
taken  out  of  their  filthy  and  poisonous  places  of 
confinement,  and  sent  from  New-York  to  their 
friends  in  haste  ;  several  of  them  fell  dead  in  the 
streets  of  New-York,  as  they  attempted  to  walk 
to  the  vessels  in  the  harbor,  for  their  intended 
embarkation.  What  numbers  lived  to  reach  the  lines 
I  cannot  ascertain,  but,  from  concurrent  represen- 
tations which  1  have  since  received  from  num- 
bers of  people  who  lived  in  and  adjacent  to  such 
parts  of  the  country,  where  they  were  received 
Irom  the  enemy,  I  apprehend  that  most  of  them 
died  in  consequence  of  the  vile  usage  of  th^ 
enemy.     Some  who  were   eve    witnesses  of  that 


i> 


n 


I 


r 


li 


,1 


i 


I 


li 


92 


ETHAN  ALLEN  3 


I   ''' 


I' : 


scene  of  mortality,  more  especially  in  that  part 
which  continued  after  the  exchange  took  place, 
are  of  opinion,  that  it  was  partly  in  consequence 
of  a  slow  poison ;  but  this  I  refer  to  the  doctois 
that  attended  them,  who  are  certainly  the  best 
judges. 

Upon  the  best  calculation  I  have  been  able  to 
make  from  personal  knowledge,  and  the  many 
evidences  I  have  collected  in  support  of  the  facts, 
I  learn  that,  of  the  prisoners  taken  on  Long- Island, 
Fort  Washington,  and  some  few  others,  at  differ- 
ent tiL.es  and  places,  about  two  thousand  perished 
with  hunger,  cold  and  sickness,  occasioned  by  the 
filth  of  their  prisons,  at  New-York,  and  a  number 
more  on  their  passage  to  the  continental  lines. 
Most  of  the  residue,  who  reached  their  friends, 
having  received  their  death  wound,  could  not  be 
restored  by  the  assistance  of  physicians  and 
friends;  but  like  their  brother  prisoners,  fell  a  sac- 
rifice to  the  relentless  and  scientific  barbarity  of 
Britain.  I  took  as  much  pains  as  my  circumstan- 
ces would  admit  of,  to  inform  myself  not  only  of 
matters  of  fact,  but  likewise  of  the  very  design  and 
aims  of  General  Howe  and  his  council.  The  lat- 
ter of  which  I  predicated  on  the  former,  and  sub- 
mit it  to  the  candid  public. 

And  lastly,  the  aforesaid  success  of  the  Ameri- 
can arms  had  a  happy  effect  on  the  continental 


nr — r- 


HTTT^- 


NARRATIVE. 


93 


olficers,  who  were  on  parole  at  New-York.  A 
number  of  us  assembled,  but  not  in  a  public  man- 
ner, and  with  lull  bowls  and  glasses,  drank  Gen. 
Washington's  health,  and  were  not  unmindtlil  of 
Congress  and  our  worthy  friends  on  the  continent, 
and  almost  forgot  that  w^e  were  prisoners. 

A  few  days  after  this  recreation,  a  British  officer 
of  rank  and  importance  in  their  army,  whose  name 
I  shall  not  mention  in  this  narrative,  for  cerlain 
reasons,  though  I  have  mentioned  it  to  some  of 
my  close  friends  and  confidants,  sent  forme  to  his 
lodgings,  and  told  me,  "  That  faithfulness,  though 
in  a  wrong  cause,  had  nevertheless  recommended 
me  to  Gen.  Sir  William  Howe,  who  was  minded 
to  iiiake  me  a  colonel  ol  a  regiment  of  new  levies, 
alias  tories,  in  the  Briiibli  service ;  and  proposed 
that  1  should  go  with  him,  and  some  other  officers, 
to  England,  who  would  embark  for  that  purpose 
in  a  few  days,  and  there  be  introduced  to  Lord  G. 
Germaine,  and  probably  to  the  King;  and  that 
previously  I  should  be  clothed  equal  to  such  an 
introduction,  and,  instead  of  paper  rags,  be  paid  in 
hard  guineas;  after  this,  should  embark  with  Gen. 
Burgoyne,  and  assist  in  the  reduction  of  the  coun- 
try, which  infallibly  would  be  conquered,  and, 
when  that  should  be  done,  I  should  have  a  large 
tract  of  land,  either  in  the  New-Hampshire  grants, 
or  in  Connecticut,  it  would  make  no  odds,  as  the 


; » 


if ' 


')  ■ 


1 


94 


ETHAN  Allen's 


l,f  i 


II"      oi 


country  would  be  forfeited  to  the  crown."  I  then 
replied,  "That,  if  by  faithfulness  I  had  recom- 
mended myself  to  Gen.  Howe,  I  should  be  loth,  by 
unfaithfulness,  to  lose  the  General's  good  opinion; 
besides,  that  I  viewed  the  offer  of  land  to  be  sim- 
ilar to  that  which  the  devil  offered  Jesus  Christ, 
"To  give  him  all  the  kingdoms  of  the  world,  if  he 
w^ould  fall  down  and  worship  him  ;  when  at  the 
same  time,  the  damned  soul  had  not  one  foot  of 
land  upon  earth."  This  closed  the  conversation, 
and  the  genUeman  turned  from  me  with  an  air  of 
dislike,  saying,  that  I  w^as  a  bigot ;  upon  which  I 
retired  to  my  lodgings.* 

Near  the  last  of  November,  1  was  admitted  to 
parole  in  New-York,  with  many  other  American 
officers,  and  on  the  22d  day  of  January,  1777, 
was  with  them  directed  by  the  British  commissary 
of  prisoners  to  be  quartered  on  the  westerly  part 
of  Long-Island,  and  our  parol  continued.  During 
my  imprisonment  there,  no  occcurrences  worth 
observation  happened.  I  obtained  the  means  of 
living  as    well   as  I  desired,  which  in   a  great 

*This  conduct  of  Colonel  Allen,  though  springing  from  duty, 
ought  not  to  be  passed  over  without  tributary  praise.  The  refusal 
of  such  an  offer  and  in  such  circu"  stances,  was  highly  meritorious. 
Though  the  man  of  strict  honor,  and  rigid  integrity,  deems  the 
plaudit  of  his  own  conscience  an  ample  reward  for  his  best  actions, 
it  is  a  pleasing  employment,  to  those  who  witness  such  actions,  to 
record  thern.    It  is  an  incentive  to  others  to  '  go  and  do  likewise.'' 


Burgc 

short 

comi 

advic^ 

The 

disad\ 

at  Slvl 

Ihey 

lost 

liarraj 

coloni 

in  wl| 

with 


■■ 


NAUR  ATI  VE. 


95 


then 
com- 
h,  by 
lion ; 

sim- 
hrist, 

if  he 
at  the 

DOt   of 

ation, 

air  of 

hich  I 

ted  to 
lerican 

1777, 
lissary 
y  part 
During 

worth 
jans  of 

great 

)m  duty, 
e  refusal 
ritorious. 
eems  the 
it  actions, 
3tions,  to 
kewise.'" 


measure  repaired  my  constitution,  which  had  been 
greatly  injured  by  the  severities  of  an  inhuman 
captivity.  1  now  began  to  feel  myself  composed, 
expecting  either  an  exchange,  or  continuance  in 
good  and  honorable  treatment ;  but  alas  !  my  vision- 
ary expectations  soon  vanished.  The  news  of 
the  conquest  of  Ticonderoga  by  general  Bur- 
goyne,*  and  the  advance  of  his  army  into  the 
country,  made  the  haughty  Britons  again  feel  their 
importance,  and  ^vith  that,  their  insatiable  thirst 
for  cruelty. 

The  private  prisoners  at  New-York,  and  some 
of  the  officers  on  parole,  felt  the  severity  of  it. 
Burgoyne  was  to  them  a  demi-god.  To  him 
they    paid   adoration :  in   him  the   tories  placed 

*  In  Jane,  1777,  the  British  army,  amounti.'ig  to  several  thou- 
sand men,  besides  Indianc  and  Canadians,  commanded  by  general 
Burgoyne,  crossed  the  lake  and  laid  siege  to  Ticonderoga.  In  a 
short  time,  the  enemy  gained  possession  of  Sugar  Hill,  which 
commanded  the  American  lines,  and  general  St.  Clair,  with  the 
advice  of  a  council  of  war,  ordered  the  posts  to  be  abandoned. 
The  retreat  of  the  Americans  was  conducted  under  every  possible 
disadvantage — part  of  their  force  embarked  in  batteaux  and  landed 
at  Skenesborough — a  part  marched  by  the  way  of  Castleton  ;  but 
they  were  obliged  to  leave  their  heavy  cannon,  and  on  their  march, 
lost  great  part  of  their  baggage  and  stores,  while  their  rear  was 
harrassed  by  the  British  troops.  An  action  *ook^  place  between 
colonel  Warner,  with  a  body  of  Americans,  and  general  Frazer, 
in  which  the  Americans  were  defeated,  after  a  brave  resistance, 
with  the  loss  of  a  valuable  officer,  colonel  Francis. 


I' 
I 


i. 
'  .-I  ■■ 

•I' 

f 


ii 


i, 


■'t 


90 


ETHAN  Allen's 


»!,M 


II'   ■ 

I  III '. 


their  confidence,  "  and  forgot  the  Lord  their 
God,"  and  served  Howe,  Biirgoyne  and  Kny- 
phausen,^  **  and  became  vile  in  their  own  imagina- 
tion, and  their  foolish  hearts  were  darkened," 
professing  to  be  or^at  politicians  and  relying  on 
foreign  and  merciless  invaders,  and  widi  them 
seeking  the  ruin,  bloodshed  and  destruction  of 
their  country;  "  became  fools,"  expecting  with 
them  t^  share  a  dividend  in  the  confiscated  estates 
of  their  neighbors  and  countrymen  who  fought 
for  the  whole  country,  and  the  religion  and  liber- 
ties thereof.  "  Therefore,  God  gave  them  over 
to  strong  delusions,  to  believe  a  lie,  that  they 
all  might  be  damned," 

The  25th  day  of  August,  I  was  apprehended, 
and,  under  pretext  of  artful,  mean  and  pitiful 
pretences,  that  I  had  infringed  on  my  parole, 
taken  from  a  tavern,  where  there  were  more  than 
a  dozen  oflficers  present  and,  in  the  very  place 
where  those  officers  and  myself  were  directed  to 
be  quartered,  put  under  a  strong  guard  and  taken 
to  New-York,  where  I  expected  to  make  my 
defence  before  the  commanding  officer ;  but,  con- 
trary to  my  expectations,  and  without  the  least 
solid  pretence  of  justice  or  a  trial,  was  again  en- 
circled with  a  strong  guard  with  fixed  bayoneis, 
and  conducted    to   the    provdst-goal  in  a  lonely 

*  Knyphausen,  a  Hessian  general. 


NARRATIVE* 


97 


i;ina- 
ed," 
on 
icm 
11  of 
with 
tates 


apartment,  next  above  the  dungeon,  and  was 
denied  all  manner  of  subsistence  either  by  pur- 
chase or  allowance.  The  second  day  I  offered  a 
guinea  for  a  meal  of  victuals,  but  was  denied  it, 
and  the  third  day  I  offered  eight  Spanish  milled 
dollars  for  a  like  favor,  but  was  denied,  and  all  I 
could  get  out  of  the  sergeant's  mouth,  was  that 
by  God  he  would  obey  his  orders.  I  now  per- 
ceived myself  to  be  again  in  substantial  trouble. 
In  this  condition  1  formed  an  oblique  acquaintance 
with  a  Capt.  Travis,  of  Virginia,  who  wjis  in  the 
dungeon  below  me,  through  a  little  hole  which 
was  cut  with  a  pen-knife,  through  the  floor  of  my 
apartment  which  communicated  with  the  dun- 
geon ;  it  was  a  small  crevice,  through  which  I  could 
discern  but  a  very  small  part  of  his  face  at  once, 
when  he  applied  it  to  the  hole ;  but  from  the  dis- 
covery of  him  in  the  situation  which  we  were  both 
then  in,  I  could  not  have  known  him,  which 
I  found  to  be  true  by  an  after  acquaintance.  I 
could  nevertheless  hold  a  conversation  with  him, 
and  soon  perceived  him  to  be  a  gentleman  of  high 
spirits,  who  had  a  high  sense  of  honor,  and  felt  as 
big,  as  though  he  had  been  in  a  palace,  and  had 
treasures  of  wrath  in  store  against  the  British. 
In  fine  I  was  charmed  with  the  spirit  of  the  man ; 
he  had  been  near  or  quite  four  months  in  that 
dungeon,  with  murderers,  thieves,  and  every 
9 


I 


;-|l 


H 


:'■■'  i 
1 1 ' 


Ml 


I'l 


■■\i  : 


M 

:1 


t 


icSiaf 


^ 


98 


ETHAN  Allen's 


i\  i'i 


I  ' 


'A 


species  of  criminals,  and  all  for  the  sole  crime  of 
unshaken  fidelity  to  his  country ;  but  his  spirits 
were  above  dejection,  and  his  mind  unconquerable. 
I  engaged  to  do  him  every  service  in  my  power? 
and  in  a  few  weeks  afterwards,  with  the  united 
petitions  of  the  officers  in  the  provost,  procured 
his  dismission  from  the  dark  mansion  of  fiends  to 
the  apartments  of  his  petitioners. 

And  it  came  to  pass  on  the  3d  day,  at  the  going 
down  of  the  sun,  that  I  was  presented  with  a 
piece  of  boiled  pork,  and  some  biscuit,  which  the 
sergeant  gave  me  to  understand,  was  my  allow- 
ance, and  I  fed  sweetly  on  the  same ;  but  I  indul- 
ged my  ^.ppetite  by  degrees,  and  in  a  few  days 
more,  was  taken  from  that  apartment,  a-nd  con- 
ducted to  the  next  loft  or  story,  where  there  were 
above  twenty  continental,  and  some  militia  officers, 
who  had  been  taken,  and  imprisoned  there,  besides 
some  private  gentlemen,  who  had  been  dragged 
from  their  own  homes  to  that  filthy  place  by  tories. 
Several  of  every  denomination  mentioned,  died 
there,  some  before,  and  others  after  I  was  put 
there.  ^ 

^  The  history  of  the  proceedings  relative  to  the 
provost  only,  were  I  particular,  would  swell  a 
volume  larger  than  this  whole  narrative.  I  shall 
therefore  only  notice  such  of  the  occurrences  which 
are  mostly  extraordinary. 


NARRATIVE. 


99 


Capt.  Vandyke  bore,  with  an  uncommon  for- 
titude, near  twenty  months'  confinement  in  this 
place,  and  in  the  mean  time  was  very  servic  able 
to  others  who  were  confined  with  him.  The  al- 
legation  against  him,  as  the  cause  of  his  confine- 
ment, was  very  extraordinary,  lie  was  accused 
of  setting  fire  to  the  city  of  New-York,  at  the  time 
the  west  part  of  it  was  consumed,  when  it  was  a 
known  fact,  that  he  had  been  in  the  provost  a 
week  before  the  fire  broke  out ;  and  in  like  manner, 
frivolous  were  the  ostensible  accusations  against 
most  of  those  who  were  there  confined  ;  the  case 
of  two  miliua  ofl^icers  excepted,  who  were  taken 
in  their  attempting  to  escape  from  their  parole  ^ 
and  probably  there  may  be  some  other  instances 
which  might  justify  such  a  confinement. 

Mr.  William  Miller,  a  committee  man,  from 
West  Chester  county,  and  state  of  New  York, 
was  taken  from  his  bed  in  the  dead  of  the  night 
by  his  tory  neighbors,  and  was  starved  for  three 
days  and  nights  in  an  apartment  of  the  same  gaol ; 
add  to  this  the  denial  of  fire,  and  that  in  a  cold 
season  of  the  year,  in  which  time  he  walked  day 
and  night,  to  defend  himself  against  the  frost,  and 
when  he  complained  of  such  a  reprehensible  con- 
duct, the  w^ord  rebel  or  committee  man  was  deem- 
ed by  the  enemy  a  sufficient  atonement  for  any 
inhumanity  that  they  could  invent  or  inflict.     He 


■  ■ 
"■I  I 


I: 


;p- 


tl, 


100 


ETHAN  ALLEN  S 


W: 


was  a' man  of  good  natural  understanding,  a  close 
and  sincere  friend  to  the  liberties  of  America,  and 
endured  fourteen  months'  cruel  imprisonment  with 
that  magnanimity  of  soul,  which  reflects  honor  on 
himself  and  country. 

Major  Levi  Wells,  and  Capt.  OziasBissel,  were 
apprehended  and  taken  under  guard  from  their 
parole  on  Long-Island,  to  the  provost,  on  as  fal- 
lacious pretences  as  the  former,  and  were  there 
continued  till  their  exchange  took  place  which  was 
near  five  months.  Their  fidelity  and  zealous  at- 
tachment to  their  country's  cause,  which  was  more 
than  commonly  conspicuous  was  undoubtedly  the 
real  cause  of  their  confinement. 

Major  Brinton  Payne,  Capt.  Flahaven,  and 
Capt.  Randolph,  who  had  at  different  times  dis- 
tinguished themselves  by  their  bravery,  especially 
at  the  several  actions,  in  which  they  were  taken, 
were  all  the  provocation  they  gave,  for  which  they 
suffered  about  a  year's  confinement,  each  in  the 
same  filthy  gaol. 

A  few  weeks  after  my  confinement,  on  the  like 
fallacious  and  wicked  pretences,  was  brought  to 
the  same  place,  from  his  parole  on  Long- Island, 
1||lajor  Otho  Holland  Williams  now  a  full  Col.  in 
the  continental  army.  In  his  character  are  united 
the  gentleman,  officer  soldier,  and  friend ;  he 
walked  through  the  piison  with  an  air  of  great  dfs- 


NARRATlVi:. 


101 


dain^  said  he,  "Is  this  the  treatment  which  gen- 
tlemen of  the  continental  army  are  to  expect  from 
the  rascally  British,  when  in  their  power?  Hea- 
vens forbid  it!"  He  v^s  continued  tliere  about 
five  months,  and  then  exchanged  for  a  British  Ma- 
jor. 

John  Fell,  Esq.  now  a  member  of  Congress  for 
the  state  of  New-Jersey,  was  taken  from  his  own 
house  by  a  gang  of  infamous  tories,  and  by  order 
of  a  British  General  was  sent  to  the  pro^'ost,  where 
he  was  continued  near  one  year.  The  stench  of 
the  gaol,  which  was  very  loathsome  and  unhealthy, 
occasioned  a  hoarseness  of  the  lungs,  which  pro- 
ved fatal  to  many  who  were^ there  confined,  and 
reduced  this  gentleman  near  to  the  point  of  death; 
he  was  indeed  given  over  by  his  friends  who  were 
about  him,  and  himself  concluded  he  must  die.  I 
could  not  endure  the  thought  that  so  worthy  a 
friend  to  America  should  have  his  life  stolen  from 
him  in  such  a  mean,  base,  and  scandalous  manner, 
and  that  his  family  and  friends  should  be  bereaved 
of  so  great  and  desirable  a  blessing,  as  his  lurtheV 
care,  usefulness  and  example,  might  prove  to  them. 
I  therefore  wrote  a  letter  to  George  Robenscn, . 
who  commanded  in  town,  and  being  touched  ^vith.' 
the  most  sensible  feelings  of  humanity,  which  dic- 
tated my  pen  to  paint  dying  distress  in  such  lively 
colors  that  it  wrought  conviction  evd  on  the  ob- 
9* 


1'* 


¥ 


102 


ETHAN  Allen's 


6    '! 


1  ilfti 


W      I' 


( ■; 


duracy  of  a  British  General,  and  produced  his  or- 
der to  remove  the  now  honorable  John  Fell,  Esq. 
out  of  a  gaol,  to  private  lodgings  in  town  ;  in  con- 
sequence of  which  he  slovwily  recovered  his  health. 
There  is  so  extraordinary  a  circumstance  which 
intervened  concerning  this  letter,  that  it  is  worth 
noticing. 

Previous  to  sending  it,.  I  exhibited  the  same  to 
the  gentleman  on  whose  behalf  in"  was  written,  for 
his  approbation,  and  he  forbid  me  to  send  k  in  the 
most  positive  and  explicit  terms  ;  his  reason  was, 
**That  the  enemy  knew,  by  every  morning's  re- 
port, the  condition  of  all  the  prisoners,  mine  rn 
particular,  sls  I  have  been  gradually  coming  to  my 
end  for  a  considerable  time,  and  they  very  well 
knew  it,  and  likewise  determined  it  should  be  ac- 
comphshed,  as  they  had  served  many  others ;  that, 
to  ask  a  favor,  would  grve  the  merciless  enemy 
occasion  to  triumph  over  me  m  my  last  moments, 
and  therefore  I  will  ask  no  favors  from  them,  bat 
resign  myself  to  my  supposed  fate."  But  the  let- 
ter I  sent  without  his  knowledge,  and  I  cx)nfess  I 
had  but  little  expectations  from  ft,  yet  could  not 
be  easy  till  I  had  sent  it.  It  may  be  worth  a  re- 
mark, that  this  gendeman  was  an  Englishman 
born,  and  from  the  beginning  of  the  revolution  has 
invariably  asserted  and  maintained  the  cause  af 
liberty. 


ke 


ire 


1JARRATIV2. 


103 


The  British  have  made  so  extensive  an  improve- 
ment of  the  provost  during  the  present  revohition 
till  of  late,  that  a  very  short  definition  will  be  suf- 
ficient lor  the  dullest  apprehensions.  It  may  be 
with  propriety  called  the  British  inquisition,  and 
calculated  to  support  their  oppressive  measures 
and  designs,  by  suppressing  the  spirit  of  liberty ; 
as  also  a  place  to  confine  the  criminals,  and  most 
infamous  wretches  of  their  own  army,  where 
many  gentlemen  of  the  American  army,  and  citi- 
zens thereof,  were  promiscuously  confined,  with 
every  species  of  criminals ;  but  they  divided  into 
different  apartments,  and  kept  at  as  great  a  re- 
move as  circumstances  permited ;  but  it  was  nev- 
ertheless at  the  option  of  a  villainous  sergeant,  who 
had  the  charge  of  the  provost,  to  take  any  gentle- 
man from  their  room,  and  put  them  into  the  dun- 
geon, which  was  often  the  case.  At  two  different 
times  I  was  taken  down  stairs  for  that  purpose, 
by  a  file  of  soldiers  with  fixed  bayonets,  and  the 
sergeant  brandishing  his  sword  at  the  same  time, 
and  having  been  brought  to  the  door  of  the  dun- 
geon, I  there  flattered  the  vanity  of  the  sergeant, 
whose  name  was  Keef,  by  which  means  I  procured 
the  surprizing  favor  to  return  to  my  companions; 
but  some  of  the  high  mettled  young  gentlemen 
could  not  bear  his  insolence,  and  determined  to 
keep  at  a  distance,  and  neitherplease  nor  displease 


.  I 


.1 1 


'r 


■k^ 


!■ 


r^ 


■(J 


f 
Si 


""J^ 


104 


ETHAN  ALLEN^S 


I  i 


.  m 


the  villain,  but  none  could  keep  clear  of  his  abuse  j 
however,  mild  measures  were  the  best ;  he  did 
not  hesitate  to  call  us  damned  rebels,'  and  use  us 
with  the  coarsest  language.  The  Capts.  Flaha^ 
ven,  Randolph  and  Mercer,  were  the  objects  of 
his  most  flagrant  and  repeated  abuses,  who  were 
many  times  taken  to  the  dungeon,  and  there  con- 
tinued at  his  pleasure.  Capt.  Flahaven  took  cold 
in  the  dungeon,  and  was  in  a  declining  state  of 
health,  but  an  exchange  delivered  him,  and  in  all 
probability  saved  his  life.  It  was  very  mortifying 
to  bear  with  the  insolence  of  such  a  vicious  and 
ill-bred,  imperious  rascal.  Remonstrances  against 
him  w^ere  preferred  to  the  commander  of  the  town, 
but  no  relief  could  be  obtained,  for  his  superiors 
were  undoubtedly  w^ell  pleased  with  his  abusive 
conduct  to  the  gentlemen,  under  the  severities  of 
his  power;  and  remonstrating  against  his  infernal 
conduct,  only  served  to  confirm  him  in  authority ; 
and  for  this  reason  1  never  made  any  remonstran- 
ces on  the  subject,  but  only  stroked  him,  for  I 
knew  that  he  was  but  a  cat's  paw  in  the  hands  of 
the  British  ofl[icers,  and  that,  if  he  should  use  us  well, 
he  w'ould  immediately  be  put  out  of  that  trust,  and 
a  worse  man  appointed  to  succeed  him ;  but  there 
was  no  need  of  making  any  new  appointment ;  for 
Cunningham,  their  provost  marshall,  and  Keef,  his 
deputy,  were  as  great  rascals  as  their  army  could 


qui: 


press) 
read( 
matt^ 
very 


it;* 


■'\ 


NARRATIVE. 


105 


boast  of,  except  one  Joshua  Loring,  an  infamous 
tory,  who  was  commissary  of  prisoners  ;  nor  can 
any  of  these  be  supposed  to  be  equally  criminal 
with  Gen.  Sir  William  Howe  and  his  associates, 
who  prescribed  and  directed  the  murders  and  cru- 
elties, whch  were  by  them  perpetrated.  This 
Loring  is  a  monster ! — There  is  not  his  like  in 
human  shape.  He  exhibits  a  smiling  counte- 
nance, seems  to  wear  a  phiz  of  humanity,  but  has 
been  instrumentally  capable  of  the  most  consumate 
acts  of  wickedness,  which  were  first  projected  by  an 
abandoned  British  council  clothed  with  the  authori- 
ty of  a  Howe,  murdering  premeditatedly,  in  cold 
blood,near  or  quite  two  thousand  helpless  prisoners 
and  that  in  the  most  clandestine,  mean  and  shame- 
full  manner,  at  New-York-  He  is  the  most  mean 
spirited,  cowardly,  deceitful,  and  destructive  ani- 
mal in  God's  creation  below,  and  legions  of  infer- 
nal devils,  with  all  their  tremendous  horrors,  are 
impatiently  ready  to  receive  Howe  and  him,  with 
all  their  detestable  accomphces,  into  the  most  ex- 
quisite agonies  of  the  hott'^st  region  of  hell  fire.* 
The  6th  day  of  July,  1777,  Gen.  St.  Clair,  and 


;1' 


i'lt 


*The  publisher  would  suppress  some  of  the  language  and  ex- 
pressions Col.  Allen  occasionally  makes  use  of,  but  presuming  the 
reader  to  make  all  reasonable  allowance,  both  for  the  style  and  the 
matter,  it  was  thought  most  eligible  to  give  the  narrative  in  the 
very  dress  furnished  by  the  author. 


y 


106 


ETHAN  ALLEN^S 


/ 


the  army  under  his  command,  evacuated  Ticon- 
deroga,  and  retreated  with  the  main  body  through 
Hubbarton  into  Castleton,  which  was  but  six  miles 
distant,  when  his  rear-guard,  commanded  by  Col. 
Seth  Warner,  was  attacked  at  Hubbarton  by  a 
body  of  the  enemy  of  about  two  thousand,  com- 
manded by  General  Fraser.  Warner's  command 
consisted  of  his  own  and  two  other  regiments,  viz. 
Francis's  and  Hale's,  and  some  scattering  and  en- 
feebled soldiers.  His  whole  number,  according 
to  information,  was  near  or  quite  one  thousand  ; 
part  of  which  were  Green  Mountain  Boys,  about 
seven  hundred  out  of  the  whole  he  brought  into 
action.  The  enemy  advanced  boldly,  and  the  two 
bodies  formed  within  about  sixty  yards  of  each 
other.  Col,  Warner  having  formed  his  own  re- 
giment, and  that  of  Col.  Francis's  did  not  wait  for 
the  enemy,  but  gave  them  a  heavy  fire  from  his 
whole  line,  and  they  returned  it  with  great  brave- 
ry. It  was  by  this  time  dangerous  for  those 
of  both  parties,  who  were  not  prepared  for  the 
world  to  come ;  but  Colonel  Hale  being  apprised 
of  the  danger,  never  brought  his  regiment  to  the 
charge,  but  left  Warner  and  Francis  to  stand  the 
blowing  of  it,  and  fled,  but  luckily  fell  in  with  an 
inconsiderable  number  of  the  enemy,  and  to  his 
eternal  shame,  surrendered  himself  a  prisoner. 
The  conflict  was  very  bloody.     Col.  Francis 


hej 

Mo 

off, 

theij 

molj 

they 


\ 


>fARRATIV£. 


107 


m- 

:oi. 

y  a 

3m- 
and 
viz. 
I  en- 
ding 
and; 
ibout 

into 

two 

each 
re- 
ait  for 
m  his 
)rave- 

those 

lor  the 
prised 
to  the 
nd  the 
I'ith  an 
to  his 
mer. 
?rancis 


fell  in  the  same,  but  Col.  Warner,  and  the  officers 
under  his  command,  as  also  the  soldiery,  behaved 
with  great  resolution.  The  enemy  broke,  and 
gave  way  on  the  right  and  left,  but  formed  again, 
and  renewed  the  attack ;  in  the  mean  time  the 
British  granadiers,  in  the  center  of  the  enemy's 
line,  maintained  the  ground,  and  finally  carried  it 
with  the  point  of  the  bayonet,  and  Warner  retreat- 
ed with  reluctance.  Our  loss  wa?  about  thirty 
men  killed,  and  that  of  the  enemy  amounting  to 
three  hundred  killed,  including  a  Major  Grant. 
The  enemy's  loss  I  learnt  from  the  confession  of 
their  own  officers,  when  a  prisoner  with  them.  I 
heard  them  likewise  complain,  that  the  Green 
Mountain  Boys  took  sight.  .  The  next  movement 
of  ihe  enemy,  of  any  material  consequence,  was 
their  investing  Bennington,*  with  a  design  to  de- 
molish it,  and  subject  its  Mountaineers,  to  which 
they  had  a  great  aversion,  with  one  hundred  and 

*  The  Americans  had  collected  a  quantity  of  stores  at  Bennington  ; 
to  destroy  which  as  well  as  to  animate  the  royalists  and  intimidate 
the  patriots,  general  Burgoyne  detached  colonel  Baum,  with  five 
hundred  men  and  one  hundred  Indians.  Colonel  Breyman  was 
gent  to  reinforce  him,  but  did  not  arrive  in  time.  On  the  16th  of 
August,  general  Stark,  with  about  eight  hundred  !?rave  militia  men, 
attacked  colonel  Baum,  in  his  entrenched  camp  about  six  miles  from 
Bennington,  and  killed  or  took  prisoners  nearly  the  whole  detach- 
ment. The  next  day  colonel  Breyman  was  attacked  and  defeated. 
In  these  actions,  the  Americans  took  about  seven  hundred  prison- 


■>  1 

It: 

111) 


1 
J 


.•u\ 


,■111 : 


V. 


* 


11, 


I 

1^ 


108 


ETHAN  Allen's 


i 


fifty  chosen  men,  including  tories,  with   the  high- 
est expectation  of  success,  and  having  chosen  an 
eminence  of  strong  ground,  fortified  it  with  slight 
breast  works,  and  two  pieces  of  cannon ;  but  the 
government  of  the  young  state  of  Vermont,  being 
previously  jealous  of  such  an  attempt  of  the  ene- 
my, and  in  due  time  had  procured  a  number  of 
brave  militia  from  the  government  of  the  state  of 
New-Hampshire,  who,  together  with  the  militia  of 
the  north  part  of  Berkshire  county,  and  state  of 
Massachusetts,  and   the    Green  Mountain  Boys, 
constituted   a  body    of   desperadoes,  under   the 
command  of  the   intrepid    general  Stark,  who  in 
number  were  about  equal  to  the  enemy.     Colonel 
Herrick,  who   commanded    the   Green  Mountain 
Rangers,  and  who  was  second  in  command,  being 
thoroughly  acquainted   with   the   ground    where 
the  enemy  had  fortified,  proposed  to  attack  them 
in  their  works"  upon    all  parts,  at  the  same  time. 
This  plan  being  adopted   by    the  general  and  his 
council  of  war,  the  Htde  militia  brigade  of  undis- 
ciplined heroes,  with   their  long  brown  firelocks, 
the  best  security  o^  a  free  people,  without  either 


er?,  and  these  successes  served  to  revive  Iho  spirits  of  the  people. 
This  success  however  was  in  part  counterbalanced  by  the  advan- 
tages gained  on  the  Mohawk  by  colonel  St.  Leger ;  but  this  officer, 
attacking  fort  Stan wix,  was  repelled,  and  obliged  to  abandon  the | 
attempt 


fft: 


\ 


adi 
sai 


i!1 


Karrative. 


109 


[  an 
iighi 

the 
leing 
ene- 
er  of 
,te  of 
tla  of 
ate  of 
Boys, 
T  the 
vho  m 
olonel 
untaln 
,  beini^ 
where 
i  them 
e  time, 
and  his 

undis- 
-elocks, 
t  either 

;he  people, 
the  advan- 
this  officer, 
.bandon  the  | 


cannon  or  bayonets,  was,  on  the  1.6th  day  of 
August,  led  on  to  the  attack  by  their  bold  com- 
manders, in  the  face  of  the  enemy's  dreadful  fire, 
and- to  the  astonishment  of  the  world,  a«d  bur- 
lesque of  discipline,  carried  every  part  of  their 
lines  in  less  than  one  quarter  of  an  hour  after  the 
attack  became  general,  took  their  cannon,  killed 
and  captivated  more  than  two-thirds  of  their  num- 
ber, which  immortalized  general  Stark,  and  made 
Bennington  famous  to  posterity* 

Among  the  enemy's  slain  was  found  colonel 
Baum,  their  commander,  a  colonel  Pfester,  who 
headed  an  infamous  gang  of  tories,  and  a  large 
part  of  his  command  ;  and  among  the  prisoners  was 
major  Meibome,  their  second  in  command,  a  num- 
ber of  British  and  Hessian  officers,  surgeons,  &e. 
and  more  than  one  hundred  of  the  aforemen- 
tioned Pfester's  command.  The  prisoners  being 
collected  together,  were  sent  to  the  meeting- 
house in  the  town,  by  a  strong  guard,  and  Gen. 
Stark  not  imagining  any  present  danger,  the 
militia  scattered  from  him  to  rest  and  refresh  them- 
selves ;  in  this  situation  he  was  on  a  sudden  at- 
tacked by  a  reinforcement  of  one  thousand  and 
one  hundred  of  the  enemy,  commanded  by  a 
governor  Skene,  with  two  field  pieces.  They 
advanced  in  regular  order,  and  kept  up  an  inces- 
sant fire,  especially  fi'om  their  field  pieces,  and  the 
10 


[V 


XV- 

I 

'J' 

i''  1 


'II 


■  J 


110 


ETHAN  ALLEN^S 


remaining  njilitia  retreating  slowly  before  them,  dis-» 
puted  the  ground  inch  by  inch.  The  enemy  were 
heard  to  halloo  to  them,  saying,  stop  Yankees !  In 
the  meantime,  Col.  Warner,  with  about  one  hun- 
dred and  thirty  men  of  his  regiment,  who  were  not  in 
the  first  action,  arrived  and  attacked  the  enemy 
with  great  fury,  being  determined  to  have  ampb 
revenge  on  account  of  the  quarrel  at  Hubbardtonj 
which  brought  them  to  a  stand,  and  soon  after 
general  Stark  and  colonel  Herrick,  brought  on 
more  of  the  scattered  militia,  and  the  action  became 
general ;  in  a  few  minutes  the  enemy  were  forced 
from  their  cannon,  gave  way  on  all  parts  and  fled, 
and  the  shouts  of  victory  were  a  second  time  pro- 
claimed in  favor  of  the  mihtia.  The  enemy's  loss 
in  killed  and  prisoners,  in  these  two  actions, 
amounted  to  more  than  one  thousand  and  two 
hundred  men,  and  our  loss  did  not  exceed  fifty 
men.  This  was  a  bitter  stro-ke  to  the  enemy,  but 
their  pride  would  not  permit  them  to  hesitate  but 
that  they  could  vanquish  the  country,  and  as  a 
specimen  of  their  arrogancy,  I  shall  insert  general 
Burgoyne's  proclamation  : —  .     .  .  '■ 

"  By  John  Burgoyne,  Esq.  Lieutenant-General  of  his 
Majesty's  armies  in  Am«irica,  Colonel  of  the  Queen's  re- 
giment of  light  dragoons,  Governor  of  Fort  William  in 
North-Britain,  one  of  the  Representative^  of  the  Com- 
ra,on8  of  .Great  Britain,  in  Parliament,  and  commanding 


•  ISf     r'i 


'(.}     fW^'V, 


p 
ti 

ei 
t( 

tl 

• 

C| 

P 
af 

a] 

tl 

^1 


NARRATIVE. 


Ill 


an  army  and  fleet  employed  on  an  expedition  from  Can- 
ada, &.C.  &.C.  &,c. 

"The  forces  entrusted  to  my  command  are  designed 
to  act  in  concert  and  upon  a  common  principle,  with 
the  numerous  armies  and  fleets  wliich  already  display  in 
every  quarter  of  America,  the  power,  the  justice,  and, 
when  f)roperly  sought,  the  merry  of  the  King. 

"  The  cause,  in  which  the  British  arms  are  thus  ex- 
erted, applies  to  the  most  atl'ecting  interests  of  the  hu- 
man heart ;  and  the  military  servants  of  the  crown,  at 
first  called  forth  for  the  sole  purpose  of  restoring  the 
rights  of  the  constitution,  now  combine  with  love  of 
their  country,  and  duty  to  their  sovereign,  ihe  other  ex- 
tensive incitements  which  spring  from  a  due  sense  of 
the  general  privileges  of  mankind.  'J'o  the  eyes  and 
ears  of  the  temperate  part  of  the  public,  and  to  the 
breasts  of  sutLring  thousands  in  the  provinces,  be  the 
melancholy  appeal,  whether  the  present  unnatural  rebel- 
lion has  not  been  made  a  foundation  for  the  completest 
system  of  tyranny  that  ever  God,  in  his  displeasure,  suf- 
fered for  a  time  to  be  exercised  over  a  froward  and  stub- 
born generation. 

"  Arbitrary  imprisonment,  confiscation  of  property, 
persecution  and  torture,  unprecedented  in  the  imjuisi- 
tions  of  ihe  Romish  Clmrch,  are  among  the  palpable 
enormities  that  verify  the  affirmative.  These  are  inflic- 
ted by  assemblies  and  committees,  wiio  dare  to  profess 
themselves  friends  to  liberty,  upon  the  most  quiet  sub- 
jects, without  distinction  of  age  or  sex,  for  the  sole 
crime,  often  for  the  sole  suspicion,  of  having  adhered  in 
principle  to  the  government  under  which  they  were  born, 
and  to  which,  by  every  tie,  divine  and  human,  they  owe 
allegiance.  To  consummate  these  shocking  proceedings, 
the  profanation  of  religion  is  added  to  the  most  profligate 
prostitution  of  common  reason  ;  the  consciences  of  men 
^re  set  at  nought ;  and  multitudes  are  compelled  not 


:i 


i:; 


i 

lis 


Hi 


il 


h 


113 


ETHAN  Allen's 


'!'( 


':t' 


only  to  bear  arms,  but  also  to  swear  subjection  to  an 
usurpation  they  ablior. 

•*  Animated  by  these  considerations,  at  the  head  of 
troops  in  the  full  powers  of  health,  discipline,  and  valor; 
determined  to  strike  where  necessary,  and  anxious  to 
spare  where  possible,  I  by  these  presents  invite  and  ex- 
hort all  persons,  in  all  places  where  the  progress  of  this 
army  may  point ;  and  by  the  blessing  of  God  I  will  ex- 
tend it  far  to  maintnin  such  a  conduct  as  may  justify  me 
in  protecting  their  lands,  habitations  and  families.  The 
intention  of  this  address  is  to  hold  forth  security,  not 
depredation  to  the  country.  To  those  whom  spirit  and 
principle  may  induce  to  partake  of  the*glorious  task  of 
redeeming  their  countrymen  from  dungeons,  and  re-es- 
tablishing the  blessings  of  legal  government,  I  offer  en- 
couragement and  employment  ;  and  upon  the  first  intel- 
ligence of  their  associations,  I  will  find  means  to  assist 
their  undertakings.  The  domestic,  the  industrious,  the 
infirm,  and  even  the  timid  inhabitants  I  am  desirous  to 
protect,  provided  they  remain  quietly  at  their  houses  ; 
that  they  do  not  suffer  their  cattle  to  be  removed,  nor 
their  corn  or  forage  to  be  secreted  or  destroyed  ;  that 
they  do  not  break  up  their  bridges  or  roads  :  nor  by  any 
other  act,  directly  or  indirectly,  endeavour  to  obstruct 
the  operations  of  the  king's  troops,  or  supply  or  assist 
those  of  the  enemy.  Every  species  of  provision  brought 
to  my  camp,  will  be  paid  for  at  an  equitable  rate,  and 
in  solid  coin.  ^,>       >, 

"  In  consciousness  of  christmnity,  my  royal  master's 
clemancy,  and  the  honor  of  soldiership,  I  have  dwelt 
upon  this  invitation,  and  wished  for  more  persuasive 
terms  to  give  it  impression.  And  let  not  people  be  led 
to  disregard  it  by  considering  their  distance  from  the  im-^ 
mediate  situation  of  my  camp. — I  have  but  to  give 
stretch  to  the  Indian  forces  under  my  direction,  and  they 
amoMnt  to.  thousands,  to,  or  ertajie  the  hardened  enemies 


€< 


fr 


*  <^l 


IVARRATIVE. 


113 


r 


of  Great  Britain  and  America :  I  consider  them  the  same 
wherever  they  may  kirk. 

*'  If,  notwiilistaii(liij«^  these  endeavours,  and  sincere 
inclinations  to  eftect  them,  the  phrensy  of  hostility  should 
remain,  1  trust  I  shall  stand  acquitted  in  the  eye's  of  God 
and  man,  in  denouncirig  and  executing  the  venj^cance 
of  the  state  against  the  wilful  outcasts.  The  messen- 
gers of  justice  and  of  wrath  await  them  in  the  Held  ;  and 
devastuiion,  famine,  and  every  concomitant  horror  that 
a  reluctant  but  iudispensible  prosecution  of  military 
duty  must  occasion,  will  bear  the  way  to  their  return. 

J.  BURGOYNE. 

"  By  order  of  his  Excellency  the  Lieut.  General, 

Robert  Kingston,  »Scc. 
*'  Camp  near  Ticonderoga,  4th  July,  1777." 

Gpn.  Burgoyne  was  still  the  toast,  and  the  scr 
verities  towards  the  prisoners  were  in  great  mea- 
sure increased  or  diminished,  in  proportion  to  the 
expectation  of  conquest.  His  very  ostentatious 
Proclamation  was  in  the  hand  and  mouth  of  most 
of  the  soldiery,  especially  the  tories,  and  from  it, 
their  faith  was  raised  to  assurance.  I  wish  my 
countrymen  in  general  could  but  hav€  an  idea  of 
the  assuming  tyranny,  and  haughty,  malevolent, 
and  insolent  behavior  of  the  enemy  at  that  time  ; 
and  from  thence  discern  the  intolerable  calamities 
which  this  country  have  extricated  themselves 
from  by  their  public  spiritedness  and  bravery.  The 

"  10*  •       ^ 


!( 


I 


>  ▼ 


laV 


^'r. 


114 


ETHAN  ALLEN^S 


dowiifall  of  Gen.  Burgoync,*  and  surrender  of  hid 
whole  army,  dashed  the  aspiring  hopes  and  ex- 
pectations of  the  enemy,  and  brought  low  the  im- 
perioui?  spii-it  of  an  opulent,  puissant  and  haughty 
nation,  and  made  the  tories  bite  the  ground  with 
anguish,  exalting  the  valor  of  the  free-born  sons 
of  America,  and  raised  their  fiiine  and  that  of  their 
brave  commanders  to  the  clouds,  and  immortaliz- 
ed  Gen.  Gates  with  laurels  o(  eternal  duration. 
No  sooner  had  the  knowledge  of  this  interesting 
and  mighty  event  reached  His  Most  Christian  Ma- 
jesty, who  in  Europe  shines  with  a  superior  lustre 
in  goodness,  policy  and  arms,  but  the  illustrious 
potentate,  auspiciously  influenced  by  Heaven  to 

*  Gerieral  Biirgoyne,  after  collecting  his  fprces  and  stores,  cross- 
ed the  Hudson  ivith  a  view  to  penetrate  to  Albany.  But  the  Amer- 
ican arnny  being  reinforced  daily,  held  him  in  check  at  Saratoga. 
General  Gates  now  took  the  command,  and  was  aided  by  the  gen- 
erals Lincoln  and  Arnold.  On  the  19th  of  September,  the  Amer- 
icans attacked  the  British  army,  and  with,  such  bravery,  that  the 
enemy  could  boast  of  no  advantage,  and  night  put  an  end  to  the 
action.  The  loss  of  the  enemy  was  about  five  hundred.  General 
Burgoyne  was  confined  in  a  narrow  pass — having  the  Hudson  on 
on  one  side  and  impassible  woods  on  the  other — a  body  of  Ameri- 
cans was  in  his  rear— his  boats  he  had  ordered  to  be  burnt,  and  he 
conld  not  retreat — while  an  army  of  thirteen  thousand  men  oppos- 
ed him  in  front.  On  the  7th  of  October,  the  armies  came  to  a  sec- 
ond  action,  in  which  the  British  lost  General  Frazer,  with  a  great 
number  of  officers  and  men,  and  were  driven  within  their  lines,. 
On  the  part  of  the  Americans  the  loss  was  not  great,  but  generals 
Lincoln  and  Arnold  were  wounded.  '    ' 


% 
^ 


NARnAnVE. 


115 


promote  the  reciprocui  interest  anil  bnppincss  of 
the  ancient  kingdom  of  Frunce,  anil  (he  new  and 
rising  states  of  America,  passed  tiie  ^rrat  and  de- 
cisive decree,  that  the  United  States  of  America, 
should  be  free  and  independent,  ''-^aunt  no  more. 
Old  En^];hind  !  consider  you  are  but  an  island  ! 
and  that  your  power  has  been  continued  longer 
than  the  exercise  of  your  humanity.  Order  your 
broken  and  vanquished  battalions  to  retire  from 
America,  the  scene  of  your  cruelties.  Go  home 
and  repent  in  dust  and  sackcloth  for  your  aggra- 
vated crimes.  The  cries  of  bereaved  parents, 
widows  and  orphans,  reach  the  heavens,  and  you 
are  abominated  by  every  friend  to  America.  Take 
your  friends  the  tories  with  you,  and  be  gone,  and 
drink  deep  of  the  cup  of  humiliation.  Make  peace 
with  the  princes  of  the  house  of  Bourbon,  for  you 
are  in  no  condition  to  wage  war  with  them.  Your 
veteran  soldiers  are  talien  in  America,  and  your 
glory  is  departed.  Be  quiet  and  pay  your  debts,, 
especially  for  the  hir^  ^f  the  Hessians.  There  is 
no  other  way  for  you  to  get  into  credit  again,  but 
by  reformation  and  plain  honesty,  which  you  have 
despised  ;.  for  your  power  is  by  no  means  suffi- 
cient to  support  your  vani.ty.  I  have  had  oppor- 
tunity to  see  a  great  deal  of  it,  and  felt  its  severe 
effects,  and  learned  lesoons  of  wisdom  and  policy,. 
when  I  wore  your  heavy  irons,  and  bore  your  biu 


il 


116 


ETHAN  ALLEN  S 


'( 

f' 

'■  \ 

'    ,5  ' 

I 

! 

;    ,     -I 


ter  revHin-^.  and  reproaches.  I  have  sorriething 
of  a  smattering  of  philosophy,  and  understand  hu- 
man nature  in  all  its  stages  tolerably  well ;  am 
thoroughly  acquainted  with  your  national  crimes, 
and  assure  you  that  they  not  only  cry  aloud  for 
Heaven's  vengeance,  but  excite  mankind  to  rise 
up  against  you.  Virtue,  wisdom  and  policy  are 
in  a  national  sense,  always  connected  with  power, 
or  in  other  words,  power  is  their  offspring,  and 
such  power  as  is  not  directed  hj  virtue,  wisdom 
and  policy  never  fails  finally  to  destroy  itself  as 
yours  has  done. — It  is  so  in  the  nature  of  things, 
and  unfit  that  it  would  be  otherwise  ;  for  if  it  was 
not  so,  vanity,  injustice,  and  oppression,  might 
reign  triumphant  forever.  I  know  you  have  indi- 
viduals, who  still  retain  their  virtue,  and  conse- 
quently their  honor  and  humanity.  Those  I  real- 
ly pity,  as  they  must  more  or  less  suffer  in  the 
calamity,  in  which  the  nation  is  plunged  headlong ; 
but  as  a  nation  I  hate  and  despise  you. 

My  affections  are  Frenchified.  1  glory  in  Louis- 
the  sixteenth,  the  generous  and  powerful  ally  of 
these  states ;  am  fond  of  a  connection  with  so  en- 
terprising, learned,  polite,  courteous  and  com- 
mercial a  nation,  and  am  sure  that  I  express  the 
sentiments  and  feelings  of  all  the  friends  to  the 
present  revolution.  I  begin  to  learn  the  French 
tongue,,  and  recommend  it  to  my  countryraen,^ 


NARRATIVE. 


117 


before  Hebrew,  Greek  or  Latin,  (provide  !  but  one 
of  them  only  are  to  be  attended  to)  for  the  trade 
and  commerce  of  these  estates  in  future  must  inev 
itably  shift  its  channel  from  England  to  France, 
Spain  and  Portugal ;  and  therefore  the  statesman, 
politician  and  merchant,  need  be  acquainted  wi^h 
their  several  languages,  particularly  the  French, 
which  is  much  in  vogue  in  most  parts  of  Europe. 
Nothing  could  have  served  so  effectually  to  illumin- 
ate, polish  and  enrich  these  states  as  the  present  rev- 
olution, as  well  as  preserve  their  liberty.  Man- 
kind are  naturally  too  national,  even  to  a  degree 
of  bigotry,  and  commercial  intercourse  with  foreign 
nations,  has  a  great  and  necessary  tendency  to 
improve  mankind,  and  erase  the  superstition  of 
the  mind  by  acquainting  them  that  human  nature, 
policy  and  interest,  are  the  same  in  all  nations, 
and  at  the  same  time  they  are  bartering  commodi- 
ties for  the  conveniences  and  happiness  of  each 
nation,  they  may  reciprocally  exchange  such  part 
of  their  customs  and  manners  as  may  be  benefi- 
cial, and  learn  to  extend  charity  and  good  will  to 
the  whole  world  of  mankind.  I  was  confined  in 
the  piovost-goal  at  New-York,  the  26th  day  of 
August,  and  continued  there  to  the  3d  day  of 
May,  1778,  when  I  was  taken  out  under  guard, 
and  conducted  to  a  sloop  in  the  harbor  at  New* 
York,  in  which  I  was  guarded  to  Staten-Island, 


: 


'.A'-  '   •■ 


118 


ETHAN  Allen's 


I'i  11 


to  general  Campbell's  quarters,  where  I  was  ad- 
mitted to  eat  and  drink  with  the  general  and 
several  other  of  the  British  field  officers,  and 
treated  for  two  days  in  a  polite  manner.  As  I 
was  drinking  wine  with  them  one  evening,  I  made 
an  observation  on  my  transition  from  the  provost 
criminals  to  the  company  of  gentlemen,  adding  that 
I  was  the  same  man  still,  and  should  give  the 
British  credit,  by  him  (speaking  to  the  general)  for 
two  days  good  usage.  •   - 

The  next  day  colonel  A  rchibald  Campbell,  who 
was  exchanged  for  me,  came  to  this  place,  con- 
ducted by  Mr.  Boudinot,  the  then  American 
commissary  of  prisoners,  and  saluted  me  in  a 
handsome  manner,  saying  that  he  never  was  more 
glad  to  see  any  gCiitleman  in  his  life,  and  I  gave 
him  to  understand  that  1  was  equally  glad  to  see 
him,  and  was  apprehensive  that  it  was  from  the 
same  motive.  The  gendemen  present  laughed 
at  the  fancy,  and  conjectured  that  sweet  liberty 
was  the  foundation  of  our  gkdness :  so  we  took 
a  glass  of  wine  together,  and  then  I  was  accom- 
panied by"  general  Campbell,  colonel  Campbell, 
Mr.  Boudinot  and  a  number  of  British  officers,  to 
the  boat  which  was  ready  to  sail  to  Elizabeth- 
town-point.  Meanwhile  I  entertained  them  with 
a  rehearsal  of  the  cruelties  exercised  towards  our 
prisoners ;  and  assured  them  that  I  should  use  my 


osij 


■0..  1 


IfARRA'TIVE. 


lid 


■.  ■> 


influence,  that  their  prisoners  should  be  treated,  in 
future,  in  the  same  manner,  as  they  should  in  future 
treat  ours  ;  that  I  thought  it  was  right  in  such  ex- 
treme cases,that  their  example  should  be  applied  to 
their  own  prisoners  ;  then  exchanged  the  decent 
ceremonies  of  compliment,  and  parted.  I  saiU 
to  the  point  aforesaid,  and,  in  a  transport  of  joy, 
landed  on  libery  ground,  and  as  1  advanced  into 
the  county,  received  the  acclamations  of  a  grate- 
ful people.  '  ,       "^ 

I  soon  fell  into  company  with  colonel  Shelden, 
of  the  light  horse,  who  in  a  polite  and  obliging 
manner  accompanied  me  to  head  quarters,  Valley 
Forge,  where  I  was  courteously  received  by  Gen. 
Washington,  wdth  pecuHar  marks  of  his  approba* 
tion  and  esteem,  and  was  introduced  to  most  of 
the  generals,  and  many  of  the  principal  officers 
of  the  army,  w^ho  treated  me  with  respect,  and 
after  having  offered  general  Washington  my  fur- 
ther service  in  behalf  of  my  country,  as  soon  as 
my  health,  which  was  very  much  impaired,  would 
admit,  and  obtain  his  licence  to  return  home,  I 
took  my  leave  of  his  excellency,  and  set  out  from 
Valley  Forge  with  general  Gates  and  his  suit  for 
Ffehkill,  where  we  arrived  the  latter  end  of  May, 
In  this  tour  the  general  was  pleased  to  treat  me 
with  the  familiarity  of  a  companion,  and  gener- 
osity of  a  lord,  and  to  him   I  made  known  some 


.v'< 


51 


-.  \  \ 


'!^m 


r 


120 


ETHAN  Allen's  NARRAtiVli:. 


t 


striking    circumstances    which    occurred   in   the 
•^    course  of  my  captivity.    I  then  bid  farewell  to  my 
*•  noble  general   and  the  gentlemen  of  his  retinue, 
''tnd   set  out  for  Bennington,  the   capital  of  the 
Green  Mountain  Boys, where  I  arrived  the  evening 
t^he  last  day  of  May  to  their  great  surprise ;  for 
I^as  thought  to  be  dead,  and  now  both  their  joy 
and   mine   was   complete.     Three  cannon  were 
fired  that  evening,  and  next  morning  colonel  Her- 
rick  gave  orders,  and  fourteen  more  were   dis- 
charged, welcoming  me  to  Bennington,  my  usual 
place  of  abode ;  thirteen   for  the   United  States, 
and  one  for  Young  Vermont. 

After  this  ceremony  was  ended  we  moved^the 
flowing  bowl,  and  rural  felicity,  sweetened  with 
friendship,  glowed  in  each  countenance,  and  with 
loyal  healths  to  the  rising  States  of  America,  con- 
clude^ that  evening,  and,  with  the  same  loyal 
spirit,  I  now  conclude  my  narrative. 


«* 
% 


^ 


the 

inue, 
f  the 
ining 
; ;  for 
irjoy 
were 
Her- 
dis- 
usual 
states, 

jdthe 
1  with 
i  with 
I,  con- 
loyal 


i 


M 


i.'iv^nvi 


